João Neves in the spotlight: Cies values him at 117 million.

João Neves is igniting the transfer market with a staggering valuation that places him at the top of world football, at a time when Real Madrid is preparing an unprecedented assault to secure galactic reinforcements. The Portuguese midfielder, currently playing for Paris Saint-Germain, has seen his market value confirmed by the prestigious CIES Football Observatory, which evaluates the French number 87 at an impressive €117.1 million — a figure that makes him the second most expensive central midfielder on the planet, only behind the Spanish phenomenon Pedri from Barcelona, who is valued at €120.6 million.

With the market buzzing, João Neves’ name has emerged as one of the main targets for Real Madrid, a club that, according to Florentino Pérez, is willing to invest at least €150 million to strengthen a squad that could have José Mourinho at the helm. Sports media have no doubts: the young Portuguese is in the spotlight and could be the next big deal of the summer.

This data from CIES is not an isolated case, but rather a reflection of the increasing value of central midfielders in the elite of European football. Alongside João Neves and Pedri, figures such as Ryan Gravenberch from Liverpool (€106.8 million), Aleksandar Pavlovic from Bayern Munich (€105.2 million), and Enzo Fernández from Chelsea (€100.6 million) dominate the highest valuations, revealing the strategic importance of this position.

Paris Saint-Germain, in addition to João Neves, also stands out for the presence of young French talent Warren Zaire-Emery, who ranks sixth with €100.4 million, demonstrating the financial strength and quality of the Parisian midfield. In the same ranking, Chelsea’s Moisés Caicedo appears with €92.6 million, proving that the midfield is currently one of the most valued positions in the market.

The true Portuguese surprise on this list comes in eighth place with Victor Froholdt, midfielder for FC Porto, valued at 84 million euros. Froholdt surpasses established names such as Declan Rice from Arsenal (76 million) and Federico Valverde from Real Madrid (75.7 million), solidifying his status as the most valuable player in Portugal, with a valuation that nearly doubles that of important players like Vangelis Pavlidis from Benfica and Gonçalo Inácio from Sporting.

On the global stage, young Lamine Yamal from Barcelona remains the most valuable asset in the world, with a valuation that could reach 385 million euros, a figure that reflects the brutal inflation of values in modern football.

With this data, João Neves not only confirms his meteoric rise but also positions himself as a key player in the realm of major international transfers. Real Madrid is already on high alert, and the summer promises to be hot for the Portuguese midfielder who is about to conquer the world. The eyes of fans and the most powerful clubs are on him: will João Neves be the next galáctico to shine in the service of the merengues? The answer may be closer than one might think.

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