According to reports in Portuguese newspaper A Bola, Chelsea and Liverpool are looking to sign FC Porto midfielder Ruben Neves this summer.

The story suggests that the 20-year-old – who is in the Portugal squad for the European Under-21 Championships this month – could be the second big name to leave the Portuguese giants in the coming weeks following the departure of Andre Silva to AC Milan on Monday.

The report says that England is the likely destination for the starlet, with both the Blues and the Reds credited with an interest in the player who was given his Porto debut at the age of 17 by current Spain manager Julen Lopetegui.

Antonio Conte looks set to sign a new central midfielder this summer as he looks to strengthen his squad on the club’s return to the Champions League, while Nemanja Matic is also being linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge.

Here are three reasons Chelsea must beat Liverpool to the signing of Neves…

His ability

Despite being something of a regular in the 2014/15 and 2015/16 campaigns, Neves found first team football harder to come by last season.

The 20-year-old made just 18 appearances in all competitions and was often an unused substitute.

Even though he has struggled for regular game time, there is little doubt to the qualities of the Portugal Under-21 international.

A deep-lying midfielder, Neves is good at accurately distributing the ball, has a fine first touch, and loves a tackle and an interception – much like current Blues star N’Golo Kante.

His leadership skills

Some young players are barely given an opportunity at bigger clubs as they break through from the academy and youth sides, but the same can’t be said of Neves at Porto.

Aged just 18 years and 221 days, the midfielder showed just how highly thought of he was at the Portuguese giants when he captained the side from the start of their Champions League tie against Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2015.

Those leadership skills and maturity at such a young age are admirable traits, and one that shows what a big future he has.

His potential

Having become the youngest play to appear for Porto on 50 occasions and having made 93 appearances in all competitions for the club despite his tender years, there is no doubt that Neves has huge potential.

Even though he found playing time hard to come by last season, the technical abilities he has as a defensive midfielder and deep-lying playmaker mean that he is bound to have a bright future in the game.

A move may improve his chances of winning a trophy too, with Porto losing out to Benfica every year since he broke into the first team squad.

Do you agree, Chelsea fans? Let us know below.