Newcastle United may be in for some good news this January as it seems Ruben Neves would be open to a move back to the Premier League, according to Fabrizio Romano in his exclusive column for the Daily Briefing.
However, it’s not quite as simple as that, with clubs soon set to vote on deals between clubs with the same ownership, so that could hinder Newcastle’s chances of signing Neves from Al Hilal, who are backed by PIF, just like them.
Neves shone during his time at Wolves and it was a bit of a surprise to see him move to Saudi Arabia during the summer, rather than to a top European club, so it might still be that he’ll try to get a move like that at the next opportunity.
Newcastle need someone like Neves in midfield after Sandro Tonali’s lengthy ban due to gambling, and it seems Eddie Howe is a big fan of the Portugal international, though it seems they’re not too optimistic about how the important upcoming vote on November 21st will pan out.
“Newcastle United are not optimistic about their chances of signing Ruben Neves, as it looks like it’s going to be really complicated. Of course I think it’s important to clarify the situation surrounding co-ownership of clubs, and hopefully that’s what this meeting on the 21st will do,” Romano said.
“We know Newcastle need a midfielder to cover for the suspended Sandro Tonali. They are still waiting to see what happens on the 21st and what clubs will decide, but they are looking on the midfielder market in any case, though it’s also still important for them to know if they’ll still be in the Champions League, or the Europa League, or even out of Europe altogether.
“Newcastle will need to decide what kind of midfielder they want, and how much they’re ready to spend, but Kalvin Phillips could be another option for them. It’s not a negotiation as of today, but it could be an opportunity.
“Neves remains a player they really appreciate, Eddie Howe is a big fan, and he has experience in the Premier League. They really like him, and Neves would be open to return to the Premier League, so let’s see what happens. At the moment all parties are waiting.”