Manchester United have a fairly decent record when it comes to signing Portuguese players.
Despite having the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Dalot and a certain Cristiano Ronaldo among their ranks, according to recent reports, the Red Devils are considering adding another Portuguese star to their payroll.
That’s according to a recent report from 90min, who claims United, led by interim German manager Ralf Rangnick, could finally be set to land long-standing midfield target and current Wolves star Ruben Neves.
Neves, 24, joined Wolves in 2017 following a £16.1m move from Porto.
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Since the midfielder’s arrival in the Midlands, he has gone on to feature in 195 matches, in all competitions, directly contributing to 32 goals, along the way.
However, despite his contract not being set to expire until the summer of 2024, the coming weeks could see the 24-year-old, who is believed to be keen on taking the next step in his career, subject of a remarkable approach from long-time admirers United.
The Red Devils’ pursuit of Neves could be boosted after it has also been claimed Wolves are open to sanctioning a sale in an effort to raise funds to allow manager Bruno Lage extra mobility in the coming windows.
The midfielder’s price tag is understood to be in excess of £30m and will therefore be a significant sale, should a deal materialise.
CaughtOffside’s Verdict
Whether or not Neves does end up moving to a so-called ‘Big Six’ club remains to be seen – however, it would certainly be interesting to see how the 24-year-old would fare with better players around him.
Best known for his ability to dictate games from a deeper position, with the likes of Fernandes, Mason Greenwood, Jadon Sancho and of course, Ronaldo, all running beyond him, Neves’ style of player would likely offer the Red Devils the ability to play with more creative freedom.
When it comes to the prospect of Neves lining up with some familiar faces, judging by the midfield’s comments recently, he clearly holds both Fernandes and Ronaldo in high esteem.
“In the Premier League, we play against close friends and even national team teammates,” Neves told reporters (as quoted by Birmingham Mail) “Each individual defends their colours during the 90 minutes and after, things return to normal in terms of our relationship with them.
“I’ve played against Bruno Fernandes many times before, alongside Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias and Joao Cancelo. Fortunately, the Premier League is not short of Portuguese players which is extremely good for our country because it’s the best league in the world.
“We have excellent players here that get talked about every day about the job they have been doing. I’ve played against many of my friends and obviously with Cristiano Ronaldo, I will have to watch him very closely because he is able to score a goal at any moment.”