Ruben Neves to Man Utd: Will the Red Devils get their man?
Robin Bairner
- 6 Jan 2022 14:22 GMT
- 3 min read
Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves is the latest player to fall under the gaze of Manchester United, who have long looked for options to strengthen themselves in the centre of the field.
The Portuguese has been a leading performer in the Premier League this season, having been handed a marginally more advanced role by Bruno Lage.
His long-range shooting has long caught the eye, while the 24-year-old sparkled in his side’s recent 1-0 win at Old Trafford, even having a hand in Joao Moutinho’s winner.
Neves has certainly shown himself to be a player worthy of such interest, but he will be a hard player for Man Utd to pin down.
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Firstly, Wolves are under little pressure to sell him. Neves has a contract that expires in the summer of 2024, giving them plenty of breathing space. Secondly, they are positioned only three points behind Man Utd in the Premier League standings and should not have given up hope of overhauling them before the end of the campaign.
Of course, the Molineux club are not a superpower that has unlimited muscle to keep star players, but it probably means that Man Utd will have to pay over the asking price for Neves. The Old Trafford club do not have a history of buckling to such demands and typically do the bulk of their business in the summer, when a deal is likelier.
FootballTransfers’ algorithm rates Neves as having a worth of €39 million – but it could cost significantly more to pluck him away from Wolves at this juncture.
Man Utd’s other options
Marseille midfielder Boubacar Kamara is another player closely linked with Manchester United.
The young Frenchman has long been associated with the Old Trafford club and would come far cheaper than Neves.
Indeed, with a contract that expires in six months, a deal could easily be brokered with the Ligue 1 side, who have grown fed up with the attitude of their academy product.
Kamara, though, would represent more of a gamble than Neves, but given that he would arrive for a pittance, it may be worth Man Utd tossing the coin on the OM player before considering the Wolves man in the summer.
