Wolverhampton Wanderers captain Ruben Neves is ready to leave the Premier League club this summer, according to reports.
The Lowdown: Open to offers?
The Portuguese international is currently the Old Goldâs overall best-performing player under Julen Lopetegui, but having now entered the final 18 months of his contract at Molineux heâs been attracting interest ahead of the upcoming window.
English top-flight rivals Newcastle, Liverpool and Tottenham have all asked to be kept informed of the 26-year-oldâs situation, alongside Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Pete OâRourke recently claimed that Fosun may have to consider offers should they receive any at the end of the season. He said:
“Losing Neves would be a huge blow for Wolves. He’s been a key player for them over the last few years.
“Coming into the final year of his contract, if no new deal can be agreed, I think Wolves will reluctantly have to consider offers for the Portuguese midfielder.”
The Latest: Neves preparing for exit
According to Football Insider, Neves is âready to quitâ Wolves in the summer regardless of whether they are successfully able to avoid relegation or not.
The Midlands starâs chances of leaving are now âbecoming more and more likelyâ as a result of him wanting to begin a ânew challenge at the highest level possibleâ.
Lopetegui and the hierarchy have reportedly held ârecent contract talksâ regarding a new deal, but with negotiations having failed to progress, he is âexpectedâ to move elsewhere.
The Verdict: Fantastic servant
Neves has been dubbed the side’s âorchestratorâ by talent scout Jacek Kulig, but whilst heâs been an outstanding servant for the club over the years, Wolves should sanction his sale.
The Nike-sponsored star has clocked up 41 goal contributions during his time in England and will be an attractive prospect to plenty of potential suitors with the leadership qualities that he brings to the centre of the field.
The Old Gold skipper is also strong in the defensive aspect of his game, where he currently ranks in the 98th percentile for most clearances and the 85th percentile for most blocks made per game, which will only increase his valuation (FBRef).
Wanderers will know how much of an integral member of the squad Neves is but thereâs not much they can do if his heart is longer in it so the best thing would be to cash in and use his sale fee to generate transfer funds for a much-needed squad overhaul ahead of the 2023/24 term.
