Newcastle United are interested in acquiring the services of 26-year-old Portuguese international Ruben Neves.
According to a report by 90min, Newcastle United are keen on having Ruben Neves in their ranks. The Magpies will head into the winter transfer window in search of a new midfielder because of the ongoing situation related to Sandro Tonali. And, Neves is one of the names on their list.
The Magpies acquired the services of Sandro Tonali in the summer. They paid a massive £55 million to sign him from AC Milan. He was a marquee signing for Newcastle United and it came on the back of a successful season that saw them finish inside the top four and qualify for the Champions League.
Since their takeover, Newcastle have been doing sensational business in the transfer window. And, their manager Eddie Howe has done an excellent job in transforming them into a winning side. After their success last season, Howe was keen on adding a world-class midfielder and his desire was fulfilled by the board as they signed Tonali.
The 23-year-old got off to a wonderful start at his new club and in no time, he became a crucial part of their first team. However, they have now suffered a huge blow as the Italian international has admitted that he had placed bets on matches involving his former club AC Milan.
Because of the betting breaches, he is all set to be banned for a lengthy period. He could face up top three years of ban but that will be reduced as he has cooperated with the Italian FA. Irrespective of the length of the ban, one thing is certain he will miss the second half of the season.
As a result, Newcastle now need to sign a replacement in the winter. They need to ensure they have enough in their tank to fight in the league as well as the UCL. They have prepared a list of potential targets and Ruben Neves is one of the names on it.
The 26-year-old Portuguese international joined Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal in the summer from Wolves for a fee of £47 million. As a result, a move in the summer is very unlikely. However, the ownership is where things get interesting.
Newcastle is owned by Saudi’s PIF, as a result, there is a possibility that they could pull some strings and land him at the club. But, any deal won’t be straightforward or cheap. While signing the Portuguese international won’t be easy, he can surely be a great addition to their ranks. He has all the qualities to fill the void left by Tonali.
