PSG are now pushing to sign Liverpool’s top target this summer

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Liverpool were dealt a blow to their transfer plans on Wednesday as Manchester United closed in on signing Leny Yoro from Lille.

The Reds have so far been silent in the summer window, but had sensed the chance to bring in Yoro.

However, with the 18-year-old seemingly set on moving to Real Madrid, they did not push hard. Ultimately Liverpool were proven wrong on Yoro, and United now look set to snap up a top talent.

While that will frustrate those at Anfield, French champions PSG were also one of the teams left trailing in the race to sign Yoro.

Stung, Luis Enrique’s side are now set to pushing for another player who is reportedly very high on the Liverpool shortlist.

PSG pushing to sign Liverpool target Joao Neves

PSG would have seemed like quite a natural fit for Yoro. The capital team are the biggest in France and would have surely loved to have one of the best prospects in their country on the books.

Nevertheless, perhaps they ultimately felt the same way Liverpool did. The Reds had two reasons for not signing Yoro and will now have to move on.

While the 18-year-old was said to be one of their top targets for the summer, he was not the only player of interest.

Benfica midfielder Joao Neves was recently claimed to be Liverpool’s top target for Arne Slot’s first window at the helm.

READ MORE: Liverpool already have a young defender doing better defensive numbers than Leny Yoro

Neves has caught the eye at Benfica and at just 19, is another potentially world-class player in the making. Liverpool’s Diogo Jota has hailed Neves as being someone who can fulfil that potential.

But according to French journalist Fabrice Hawkins, the Reds are now in real danger of missing out on Neves, too. Taking to X, Hawkins says that PSG have begun to ‘push’ to sign the Portugal international.

“PSG is pushing for Joao Neves,” the journalist reports. “The Portuguese have accepted that Paris will not pay the 120M Euros clause.

“There are still differences even if the parties are optimistic as revealed by the Portuguese press. Neves wants to sign in Paris. The PSG/player agreement not a problem.”

Could Liverpool still get involved in Joao Neves chase?

The main sticking point in Liverpool’s pursuit of any player tends to be the price-tag. The Liverpool owners will not overpay.

For Neves, that seems especially pertinent. As Hawkins mentions, the teenager has a mammoth release clause.

Up until now Benfica have been adamant that Neves will only be sold if the release is met. That would seemingly rule Liverpool out of a move.

But if the Lisbon side have now accepted that Neves will leave for a lower fee, maybe that will alert the Reds.

For now, we’d argue that it’s unlikely. It has been claimed that Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes is a more realistic target than Neves and perhaps that’s where Liverpool’s energy should now be.