According to A Bola, Benfica are demanding twice as much for Joao Neves as Arsenal are reportedly willing to offer for the player.
The Gunners are ready to offer €60m (£51m) for the young midfielder.
Arsenal are now making moves for the 19-year-old sensation Neves, who was added to their shortlist more recently.
Given that Benfica are receiving serious attention from one of England’s biggest teams, Neves’ future has become a critical concern for the them.
The player has a £102 million release clause, which Benfica is holding out for, but they know that any interested party may find their price unacceptable.
Neves possesses every quality needed to establish himself as the main midfield player for the Gunners.
At his age, he has demonstrated a great deal of maturity, and with additional experience, he should only grow better.
The Gunners are looking for a partner for Declan Rice in the midfield and they could be willing to let Thomas Partey leave the club.
Neves had a strong season that earned him a call-up to the European Championship, and his value has continued to grow.
Benfica has contemplated offering a new contract to Neves, raising his salary and release clause to €150 million (£127 million), in an attempt to ensure his long-term stay at the club. Negotiations have stagnated in spite of these attempts.
His current contract at the club runs until 2028 and it remains to be seen what the future holds for him.
Arsenal will have to increase their offer for Neves
An impressive showing in the Euro this summer might make it more difficult for Benfica to keep the midfielder at the club.
Arsenal have challenged Manchester City for the Premier League title for the past two season and Neves might see them as the club who are on the verge of getting success.
Mikel Arteta is keen to make reinforcements to his squad this summer in order to end Arsenal’s Premier League title drought and in his quest to do that, he might bring Neves to the Emirates Stadium.
Neves has a four-year contract, and if he really does have a release clause of 102 million, it is hard to imagine Benfica, notoriously tough negotiators, selling for less. They can wait for two more seasons before offering a significant discount.
If Neves does have a great Euro tournament, his asking price will go up, not down. Arsenal have also shown they will pay when they want a player, so clubs will be less willing to take less.
The financial landscape in European football is changing. All clubs are weary of spending like they have done in the past and for that reason, I believe that they could be forced to reduce the money because the price of players will continue to drop significantly because teams don’t have the money to spend.
Almost all the clubs are close to the edge of financial FFP .