Why Man Utd and Liverpool have been handed Neves transfer boost

Updated: 27 Oct 2022 21:50 BST
3 min read

Ruben Neves, Wolves, 2022/23 — © ProShots

Manchester United and Liverpool may have the advantage in the race for Ruben Neves despite the Wolves captain recently admitting his desire to join Barcelona.

Neves has established himself as one of the finest midfielders in the Premier League since joining Wolves in 2017 but he is reluctant to commit his future to the club, with his current contract set to expire in 2024.

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Barcelona were believed to be in ‘advanced talks’ with Neves and his agent Jorge Mendes, with the Portuguese international considered as the replacement for captain Sergio Busquets, who is set to leave when his contract expires in the summer.

DEJA VU: Barcelona repeating trusted trick with Neves

However, Spanish outlet SPORT now claims that Barcelona still considering whether Neves has the physical attributes to replace Busquets, who manager Xavi believes to be ‘the helm of the team’.

Should Barcelona decide against signing Neves, their u-turn could allow Liverpool or United a chance to strengthen their squad with a ready-made solution to both their midfield concerns.

OPINION: Would Ruben Neves really help Barcelona?

Why are Barcelona having doubts over Neves?

The report claims that Xavi respects Neves’ international credentials but wants a ‘dynamic’ midfielder who ‘runs like no-one else’ and they had identified Aurelien Tchouameni to fill that role before he joined Barca’s rivals Real Madrid.

Barcelona believe they can afford the transfer despite the financial losses they will certainly take from their Champions League group stage exit, having been offered a number of ways to facilitate the deal by Neves’ agent Jorge Mendes.

Wolves are understood to be demanding €50 million for Neves but a loan with an obligation to buy could be arranged, such is the player’s desire to move to Barcelona, but the club are still unconvinced and are exploring other options.

Martin Zubimendi was Xavi’s number one choice but the midfielder recently signed a new contract with Real Sociedad, making a move ‘impossible’, while Chelsea duo N’Golo Kante and Jorginho will only be considered if they become free agents when their deals expire in June.

Neves surprised Barca by confirming his ambitions to join the club, having previously kept negotiations quiet in order to avoid disrupting negotiations.

“Who wouldn’t want to try Barcelona? I think it’s a common question for all players," Neves said. It’s one of the biggest clubs in the world. Of course, it’s always a privilege for me to be associated with clubs of this calibre."