Arsenal and Manchester United will reportedly face stiff competition from Barcelona in the race to sign Ruben Neves from Wolverhampton Wanderers.
According to a report by the Daily Mail, Ruben Neves is the subject of interest from Barcelona over a possible move in the summer transfer window. The Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder is also a target for Premier League giants Arsenal and Manchester United.
Ruben Neves was one of the first players to take a leap of faith in the Wolverhampton Wanderers project, making the shocking decision to join them from FC Porto in July 2017 when they were still in the EFL Championship. Since then, the 24-year-old has progressed remarkably, establishing himself as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.
To date, the Portuguese international has turned out 203 times for Wolves, chipping in with 23 goals and 11 assists in the process. Neves’s progress has captured the attention of some of the most high profile clubs in Europe, with Barcelona, Arsenal and Manchester United keen on signing him in the summer transfer window.
The Catalan giants are the latest entrants in the race to sign Neves, which is hardly surprising. Sergio Busquets is on his last legs in his professional football career and might start getting phased out soon. In addition, Riqui Puig faces an uncertain future at Barcelona and could depart Camp Nou in the summer transfer window.
Neves is thus a viable target for Barcelona, who have joined Arsenal and Manchester United in the race to sign him. The interest from Arsenal stems from the uncertainties surrounding the future of Granit Xhaka, who has re-emerged on the radar of AS Roma ahead of the summer transfer window.
With Mohamed Elneny likely playing his final season for Arsenal, the need to sign a midfielder has increased for the Gunners. As for Manchester United, the Red Devils are staring at the prospect of losing Paul Pogba as a free agent in the summer transfer window, which brings Neves into the picture.
With Nemanja Matic in the twilight of his career, Neves could be the defensive midfielder that Manchester United are looking for in the first-team squad. But according to the Daily Mail, talks between intermediaries have already taken place pertaining to Barcelona’s pursuit of Neves, putting pressure on Arsenal and Manchester United.
Neves is open to leaving Wolves in the summer, meaning a transfer battle between Arsenal, Manchester United, and Barcelona could be on the cards. But with two years still left on his contract, the Midlands club will likely demand a hefty price to offload the 24-year-old.
