Liverpool and Chelsea make approaches for Porto star Ruben Neves

Reds lead the chase for £30m Portugal midfielder and tiptoe around another Southampton target

Ruben Neves Porto
Ruben Neves of Porto
(Image credit: Miguel Riopa/AFP/Getty Images)

Liverpool will have to see off Chelsea if they wish to sign Porto midfielder Ruben Neves, reports Metro. The paper says that both clubs "have made approaches" to the 20-year-old sensation, who has been marked down as one of the future stars of European football since becoming the youngest captain in Champions League history in 2015.

According to Portuguese paper A Bola, Neves is expected to leave Porto this summer with the Portuguese outfit ready to cash in on their prize asset. The Reds have made contact with both the player and Porto, with the latter "demanding a fee of around £30m".

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is also known to be a fan of Neves and it remains to be seen whether the Premier League champions will look to outbid their rivals for the young playmaker.

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Despite being forced into a grovelling apology to Southampton last week after trying to tap up Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool are still loitering with intent on the south coast, claims the Daily Express. The paper says that this time the Reds are sniffing around Dusan Tadic, the 28-year-old Serbian midfielder with a £13m release clause in his contract.

When rumours of interest from the Reds were put to Tadic, he said: "I don't comment on these things. I have an agent and I have correct things with the club." The Express says that Klopp is treading carefully this time around but the Liverpool manager is keen to reinforce his midfield and sees Tadic as a suitable candidate. "We will see," said Tadic on the subject of whether he might leave Southampton this summer. "You never know in football."