Wolves have reportedly slapped a €50 million price tag on Ruben Neves amid interest from Barcelona, who are reluctant to meet that valuation.
According to SPORT, Barcelona have identified Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves as the most viable target to replace captain Sergio Busquets in the long run. However, the Premier League club want €50 million for the Portuguese international, which the Catalans are unwilling to pay.
Neves came through the ranks at FC Porto and moved to Wolves in the summer of 2017, at which point the club were still in the EFL Championship. He played a key role in their promotion back to the Premier League in his debut season and has since established himself as one of the most consistent and reliable midfielders in England.
At the same time, Neves has also become a permanent fixture in the middle of the park for the Portuguese national team, and his growth at the club and international level has not gone unnoticed. Several top clubs from within England and across Europe have set their sights on the 25-year-old, whose contract with Wolves stands to expire in 2024.
Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham are among the clubs keen on signing Neves, while Barcelona are also hot on his trail heading into the summer transfer window.
Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez has made it clear that he wishes to have two players at his disposal for each position, a luxury not afforded to him in the 2021/22 campaign. As a result, the manager did not have any scope for rotating club captain and veteran midfielder Sergio Busquets throughout the season.
But with the Spaniard entering the final phase of his career, it becomes imperative for Barcelona to find a player to cover for him and eventually take over the reins from the La Masia product. To that end, the Catalans have identified three options in the form of Neves, AS Monaco’s Aurelien Tchouameni and Martin Zubimendi of Real Sociedad.
However, as per the report, Barcelona see Neves as the most viable option among the trio due to their strong relationship with Wolves and the player’s agent, Jorge Mendes. However, Wolves are demanding a sum of €50 million for the 25-year-old, which Barcelona do not wish to play. And to lower the price tag, the Blaugrana are considering offering players in exchange.
Oscar Mingueza and Riqui Puig, who will likely be sold in the summer, are being considered as makeweights, along with Nico Gonzalez, who is a target for Wolves, although he would only be leaving on loan. It will be interesting to see if Barcelona and Wolves can strike some sort of player-plus-cash agreement for Neves or whether the Premier League club hold out for a cash-only deal for the midfielder.
