Ruben Neves will reportedly prioritise joining Barcelona over Arsenal or Manchester United, with Wolves demanding around £100 million for him.
According to a report by Spanish publication SPORT, Ruben Neves dreams about joining Barcelona and will prefer to move to Camp Nou instead of Arsenal or Manchester United in the summer transfer window. But Wolverhampton Wanderers’ £100 million price tag is a stumbling block for the Blaugrana.
Ruben Neves surprised many when he joined Wolverhampton Wanderers from FC Porto in July 2017, with the Midlands club an EFL Championship side back then. But the 25-year-old was instrumental in guiding Wolves back to the Premier League in his maiden campaign, and they have been a mid-table outfit since then.
To date, the Portuguese international has turned out 208 times for Wolverhampton Wanderers, chipping in with 24 goals and 12 assists in the process. But the Black Country outfit could lose the services of Neves in the summer transfer amid mounting interest in his services. Barcelona, Arsenal and Manchester United are keen on signing the player.
The interest from Barcelona stems from the advancing years of Sergio Busquets. The veteran midfielder might have been a consistent performer under Xavi Hernandez, but he is approaching the final phase of his career, prompting Barcelona to scour the market for a potential long-term successor. Neves is thus a viable target for the Blaugrana.
As for Arsenal, recent reports have claimed that the Gunners have identified Neves as a priority target for the summer transfer window. That is hardly surprising, considering just how dependent the north Londoners have been on Thomas Partey. And Neves’s arrival will add some dynamism to the Arsenal midfield.
Meanwhile, Manchester United will invest in a midfielder in the summer transfer window, as Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic will depart from Old Trafford as free agents. And incoming Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag reportedly wants Neves as one of his first signings upon arriving from Ajax.
But Arsenal and Manchester United will face an uphill task convincing Neves to join them instead of Barcelona, as he dreams about moving to Camp Nou. But the Catalan giants could struggle to afford his £100 million price tag, meaning Neves’s future remains up in the air. It will be interesting to see how this transfer saga transpires amid the player’s desire to join Barcelona.