Krishnan Sreekumar
Wolves manager Bruno Lage admits midfielder Ruben Neves may leave this summer amid interest from Manchester United
Speaking in the media, as quoted by the Daily Mail, Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Bruno Lage admitted that star midfielder Ruben Neves could depart the club at the end of the season, with Manchester United touted to be one of the clubs interested in him.
Neves has been the driving force of the Wolves team, pulling the strings in midfield and creating chances for his forwards consistently. He is currently injured for the rest of the season, although his future at the club beyond the summer is uncertain.
Lage said that they need to be ready for everything and cannot lose a big opportunity to possibly cash in on a quality midfield player like Neves, who he priced at a whopping £100m or above. Clearly, the manager has no intention to let one of his best stars leave for cheap.
“In these days we need to be ready for everything, especially a club like Wolves. I’ve said before that the value of players like Ruben is £100million or above. We need to be aware of everything. We cannot lose a big opportunity.”
Aside from United, the Portugal international has also caught the attention of Arsenal and Barcelona, who will battle for his signature in the upcoming summer transfer window. It remains to be seen if his price point will drive away Barca, given their troublesome financial position.
“The best guys at the best price”
Neves has been instrumental for Wolves in the last few years, guiding them from the Championship into the Premier League and continuing to impress in midfield. Even with Lage’s arrival last summer, the 25-year-old has dazzled on the pitch and remains a key player for them alongside the likes of Conor Coady and Joao Moutinho.
Lage said that aside from Neves, anything could happen and that they need to be prepared to improve the team, spotting the best players at the best price. The head coach also confirmed that the club’s chairman and sporting director are aware of what needs to be done to improve a position.
“Anything can happen, not just with Ruben, and if we want to improve our squad we have to have players on our radar – the best guys at the best price. My chairman and sporting director already know what we need if something happens in any position.”
It is no secret that the Red Devils need an improvement in the middle of the park, with the midfield proving to be a weak link in the squad for years now. Consistency has been lacking from their current midfield options, and it has affected the team’s performance drastically.
The Manchester side is unable to utilise their crop of midfielders to either effectively shield the defence, or create chances for the attackers. Michael Carrick is yet to be replaced as the team’s midfield lynchpin, despite the veteran retiring in 2018.
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Neves is no doubt a talented player, but his price tag could prove to be a stumbling block for any club chasing his signature. Further, with the midfielder returning from injury only in the summer, it remains to be seen if he can continue to impress at the same levels when he was fit.
It may be a gamble for United to splash the cash on the Portuguese star, but any decision to sign the player may be up to the club’s incoming new manager Erik ten Hag. The Dutchman will need to come ahead of the new season and assess his current squad, before deciding which kind of players he needs.
