Manchester United icon Paul Parker has made some big claims about Ruben Neves, claiming that the Portuguese ace has some similarities to Paul Scholes.
Ruben Neves has been one of the hottest properties in the transfer market for quite some time now. Having impressed during his stint so far with Wolverhampton Wanderers, the Portuguese midfield ace has been linked with a bevy of top English club in recent years.
As things stand this summer, Manchester United and Arsenal are vying for the signature of the 24-year-old, with their respective pursuits being understandable. While Manchester United are in a bit of a troublesome situation owing to the uncertainty surrounding Paul Pogba, Arsenal need to add more quality to their squad despite the fact that Granit Xhaka appears set to stay put at the Emirates.
So, it is clear that Neves could add a lot of value at either of the club if he chooses to move away from Wolves this summer. And if Manchester United icon Paul Parker is to be believed, the Portuguese international might well have the qualities to emulate Manchester United legend Paul Scholes in the future.
Speaking on the Talking Devils podcast (h/t Tribal Football), Parker said, “When journalists speak about him they always use a variation of words to effectively say he’s been around for ages. Has he reached his potential yet? I don’t think he has. He was a standout player for Wolves but not consistent week in week out.”
“When you talk about someone striking the ball there’s only one player I can remember doing that, and that’s Paul Scholes. If he was playing for a Manchester United with the quality around him you will see his game improve… players come to United and lift another level.”
“Yes, more have struggled, but someone like Neves, coming to play with his countryman Fernandes, you’ll have someone who can play in deep areas and United have lacked that for a long time. It depends the path United want to take. Do they want a big name with a good marketing value or a big name who’s a big footballer? If it’s the latter, then Neves is a good player to go and get. And I think that’s the path they need to go down.”
That is high praise from Parker for Neves, although it will be interesting to see if he takes his game to the next level if he joins Manchester United. Arsenal will surely have a lot to say on the matters as well and it remains to be seen where Neves ends up if he leaves Wolves this summer.
