Manchester United and Barcelona are plotting a move for Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves, according to The Daily Mail.
The 26-year-old joined Wolves in 2017 and has been one of their most consistent players since. He is arguably one of the most accomplished central midfielders in the Premier League, and two big clubs are vying for his signature.
Wolves are 13th in the Premier League table but are only four points above the drop zone. If they suffer relegation to the Championship, chances are high that Neves will push to leave the club.
He will enter the final year of his contract this summer, and The Daily Mail claims it would require a fee of around £55m to persuade Wolves to cash in.
The report further adds that Wolves are offering new terms to Neves but he realises that he needs the next challenge to progress in his career. Man Utd are now looking to take advantage of the situation and are lining up a summer swoop, but face competition from Barcelona, as per the report.
Replacement for McTominay?
Neves is a fantastic midfielder who would be a superb addition to Erik ten Hag’s side. He is an “incisive” passer of the ball and is known for scoring terrific long-range goals.
The Portugal international is an intelligent midfielder who is equally good at ball retention. The defensive midfielder has scored five goals this season in the Premier League and averages 2.4 tackles per game.
He manages 2 shots per game on average and manages nearly 85% passing accuracy. The numbers can only improve if he plays alongside top players, and that’s why signing him won’t be a gamble. Overall, he has made 246 appearances for Wolves since joining from Porto and has scored 29 goals.
Neves could be the perfect replacement for Scott Mctominay – who is most likely to leave Man Utd in the summer. The Scotland midfielder has struggled for regular games under the Dutch manager and has been linked with a move to Newcastle.
Neves could be a very good signing for Barcelona as well, but his high price tag could be a major issue for the Catalan giants as they are struggling financially, which puts United in a strong position to win the race.
Read more: Man Utd in battle with Spurs to land £35m forward.
