Manchester City are reportedly keen on signing the Portuguese international midfielder Ruben Neves.
The 26-year-old has been linked with a return to the Premier League in recent weeks and Newcastle United are keeping tabs on him. A report from Football Insider claims that Manchester City will now compete with the Magpies for the midfielder’s signature.
Neves joined the Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal during the summer transfer window for a fee of around £47 million. He has been an important player for them but it seems that the midfielder is keen on a return to the Premier League. The opportunity to play for clubs like Manchester City can be hard to turn down and it remains to be seen whether the Premier League champions can convince the Saudi Pro League outfit to sanction his departure.
There have been rumours that Newcastle could look to sign the player on loan until the end of the season in order to compensate for the loss of Sandro Tonali. The Italian international midfielder joined Newcastle at the start of the season and he managed to establish himself as a key player for the club. However, he has been suspended following his involvement in an illegal batting scandal.
Newcastle need to add more quality and depth in the middle of the park now and the 26-year-old Portuguese midfielder could prove to be the ideal acquisition. He knows the league well having played in England with Wolverhampton Wanderers and he could make an immediate impact at Newcastle if he joins the club.
It will be interesting to see if he is prepared to move to Newcastle despite the interest from Manchester City. Manchester City are undoubtedly the bigger club with a formidable squad. They have a proven track record of challenging for league titles and Champions League trophies every season and Neves will want to win silverware with them if the opportunity comes along.
In addition to that, the opportunity to work with Pep Guardiola can be quite tempting. The Spaniard is undoubtedly the best manager in the world and Neves could improve while working alongside him.
The 27-year-old is certainly good enough to play for the big clubs, and he will add depth and quality to the Manchester City midfield if he joins the club.
