Ruben Neves has been so good for Championship leaders Wolverhampton Wanderers that Premier League giants Manchester United want him at Old Trafford.
Wolverhampton Wanderers made perhaps the biggest statement of intent in Championship history when they plucked Portuguese starlet Ruben Neves from FC Porto last summer – for a second-tier record fee of £15.8 million no less, as reported by the BBC.
Wolves’ Chinese owners Fosun International have made it perfectly clear that their ambition lies far ahead of winning the Championship title. They are craving Premier League football and, with players of the quality of Neves in the side, Nuno Espirito Santo’s runaway league leaders look almost certain to be playing in the top tier in just a few months’ time.
While signing talent like Neves, Diogo Jota and Willy Boly is all well and good, perhaps Wolves are now about to face the biggest test of their ambition.
The Birmingham Mail is reporting that Neves’ masterful performances at the heart of Wolves’ midfield have attracted the interest of none other than Manchester United.
The Old Trafford giants have been big fans of the Portuguese playmaker for a long time, with The Sun stating that United were interested as recently as last summer before Neves sensationally followed his agent Jorge Mendes to Molineux.
Now it appears that United see the 20-year-old, who was once the youngest captain in Champions League history, as a replacement for Ander Herrera, while Michael Carrick, who is set to retire at the end of the season, is in need of a successor too.
But if Wolves are serious about rising up the ranks of English football, the real test should be not whether they can sign these players but whether they can keep them in the face of interest from more established clubs.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
