The Neves battle continues

At the age of just 25, Ruben Neves has already built quite the reputation for himself as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League – and, arguably, across all of Europe and perhaps the world.

That sounds over the top but upon viewing him for a few minutes of play alone, you’ll get an idea of why he’s so sought after. From his vision to his control in the middle of the park to the way in which he can strike the ball, this is a man who knows his worth.

The rumour mill has been pretty active with many believing it’s just a matter of time before he leaves Wolverhampton Wanderers, perhaps as early as the upcoming summer transfer window. Today, we take a look at those in the running.

Wolves

There’s every chance that Ruben Neves opts to stay at Wolves and help the squad invest in their push to become, potentially, consistent top six challengers. He’s worshipped as a god at Molineux and he’s made no secret of the fact that he thoroughly enjoys playing for the club. At the same time, their lack of European football and arguably vision in the transfer market could sway him elsewhere.

Arsenal

Ruben Neves would slot perfectly into Arsenal’s system and alongside the likes of Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey, he could soon become the talisman that the Gunners require to vault further up the table. The big problem for the boys from North London, though, is their lack of Champions League football, as well as their inability to compete with other top clubs from a marketing standpoint.

Barcelona

Barcelona are in the midst of a rebuilding phase under Xavi and so far, the signs are good. They appear to be using the Moneyball tactic of plucking elite players from under the nose of others but for Neves, they’ll probably have to take on a slightly different approach. He’d thrive in La Liga but Barca are going to have to stump up the cash in a big way to turn some heads.

Manchester United

We would argue that Manchester United are the frontrunners even if they themselves don’t even know it. Neves comes across as the perfect fit for their midfield issues and even though he isn’t going to solve everything on his own, the Red Devils know exactly how he plays and he’d have an array of quality alongside him – including Portugal teammate Cristiano Ronaldo.