Manchester City have identified Benfica midfielder Florentino Luis as a summer transfer target after scouting the teenager this season.
The 19-year-old has earned a place in the Benfica senior squad this season, racking up 10 appearances across all competitions and scoring once.
The Portuguese starlet has been on the club’s books since he was 10 years old and he finally earned his first-team debut back in February after rising through the ranks at youth level.
According to The Guardian, City scouts have been impressed by Luis and see him as a long-term prospect capable of succeeding Fernandinho as the club’s number one holding player.
The Brazilian star is 33 and approaching the twilight years of his career, which has prompted the Premier League champions to begin looking for the man to fill his boots in the near future.
In January, City signed another young defensive midfielder named Ante Palaversa, from Hajduk Split for £7 million, but they are clearly still covering all bases in their search and have more than one candidate in mind – as per The Guardian.
Paris Saint Germain are reportedly also interested in Luis and they have already had an offer rejected by Benfica, who hope he will sign a new contract with the club instead of leaving.
The Guardian states that City are eyeing a €60 million swoop for the youngster, which would match his current release clause, but the Portuguese giants want to raise that fee to €100 million by convincing him to pen an extension at the club.
Pep Guardiola is well known for getting the best out of talented young players and he could do the same with Luis at the Etihad Stadium if he opts to leave Portugal at the end of the season.
This particular deal still seems a long shot at this stage, but the Benfica ace has been tipped for a bright future at the top of the game, which means he will have to move onto pastures new sooner rather than later in order to fulfil his potential.
