Exclusive – Manchester United have added Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves to their list of summer transfer goals and it is likely that he will have to leave Molineux.
United have mainly prioritized other positions in their preparations for the upcoming transfer window, mainly a midfielder, striker and winger, but the central midfield is still a need in the overall squad structure and driving Neves can be a very opportunistic strategy.
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Man Utd want to strengthen in midfield and Ruben Neves fits the bill Sam Bagnall – AMA / Getty Images
Wolves are preparing to sell Portugal internationally, along with a handful of their other big names. 90min understands that this is because the parent company Fosun wants to restructure its commitment to the club, and even if they do not pull out completely – as the Chinese company Suning has with Jiangsu and Inter super agent Jorge Mendes has been commissioned to find buyers and arrange potential offers for some of their top players.
Mendes was largely responsible for gathering much of Wolves’ current squad and used his knowledge and contacts in the Portuguese market to bring in a wealth of talent in recent years. Apart from Neves, who was Porto captain 18 years before joining Wolves, it has included Joao Moutinho, Rui Patricio, Nelson Semedo, Raul Jimenez, Daniel Podence and Pedro Neto.
But it’s not just Wolves who are ready to share company with Neves, as the player himself understands that after four years and 170 appearances, it’s time for a new challenge. He is valued at over £ 30 million and Wolves will sell if that valuation is reached.
Originally helping the Wolves win promotion from the Championship, Neves, now 24, has developed into one of the Premier League’s top central midfielders and could be the man to work with Declan Rice at Old Trafford for many years to come – with the West Ham star another goal for United.
Neves has developed into a top Premier League player at Wolves | Sam Bagnall – AMA / Getty Images
West Ham are waiting until the end of the season to make a decision on Rice, as qualifying for the Champions League would make them determined to keep their best players. But talks between United and Hammers have thrown up the names of Jesse Lingard, Nemanja Matic and Phil Jones as possible weight in all deals for the England starter.
As for Neves, United would not be the only club interested in him as Mendes has contacts all over Europe and there will be no top side who are not aware of his availability. In the current financial climate, however, the Premier League is still the dominant force in terms of spending.
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