Krishnan Sreekumar
Bruno Lage admits Wolves ace Ruben Neves could depart this summer amidst Manchester United interest
As quoted by the Daily Mail, Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Bruno Lage admitted that he could lose star midfielder Ruben Neves this summer, with the player picking up interest from other clubs including Manchester United.
Neves has been the driving force behind the Wolverhampton club, having joined them from Porto in 2017 and seeing them go from playing in the Championship to pushing for a top-half finish in the Premier League.
Lage added that Wolves were planning to offer him a new deal soon, but the way he was playing this season, he could get a big offer from a big team. What this means for Neves remains to be seen.
“For sure, he will receive a proposal from us but the way he plays I can see other teams are looking for him also. You never know what can happen. There could be a big team with a big offer and we would need to analyse what is better for us and for the player.”
Man United are not the only club chasing the Portugal international’s signature in the summer, with Liverpool also looking to sign the player to bolster their midfield. Neves is currently tied to Wolves until the summer of 2024.
“He knows my opinion”
The 25-year-old has been ruled out of action until May with a knee injury, giving Lage a major concern in midfield as he tries to push for a European spot amidst competition from West Ham United and Manchester United, although the Red Devils will be aiming for much more than Europa League qualification.
The Portuguese coach said that Wolves would be happy and stronger if Neves stayed. But you can never know what happens in football as the player was catching the attention of other sides with the kind of level he was playing at.
“From my side, he knows my opinion – I want the best for his career. If he prefers to remain with us, for sure we will be happy and stronger. But this is football and you never know. When you see the kind of level he’s playing and the challenge we give to him to be more consistent, he’s a big loss for us at the moment.”
Alongside veteran Joao Moutinho, Neves has been instrumental in Wolves punching above their weight in recent seasons and impressing in midfield in the Premier League, having earned promotion from the Championship.
His knee injury will keep him out of action until the summer, but that is unlikely to see sides back away from trying to sign him ahead of the new campaign – such is the Portugal international’s influence in midfield.
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Man United are currently looking to upgrade their current options in the middle of the pitch, with Fred and Scott McTominay unable to produce the goods in big matches and take control of proceedings on the pitch. Donny van de Beek meanwhile, has been sent out on loan to Everton until the end of the campaign and it is not known if he will stay beyond the summer.
With Paul Pogba seemingly set for a Bosman transfer in the summer and Nemanja Matic not getting any younger at 33, a midfielder is required to make up for the void that Pogba might leave. Neves could prove to be the perfect replacement, with plenty of Premier League and international experience under his belt to be successful at Old Trafford.
