Liverpool hold a “concrete” admiration for Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Ruben Neves ahead of the summer transfer window, according to reports.
Is Ruben Neves leaving Wolves?
The Portugal international’s contract is set to expire at the end of next season, meaning that the upcoming market is likely to be Julen Lopetegui’s final opportunity to cash in on his prized asset, and the captain has already put teams on alert after admitting during an interview following his final home outing that he is keen to join a bigger club to achieve his dream of playing in the Champions League.
Of players to regularly feature this season, the Midlands outfit’s £50k-per-week talisman is ranked as the team's best-performing player at Molineux with a WhoScored match rating of 6.98, so it’s no surprise that he feels like he can compete at a higher level, and his impressive performances have grabbed the attention of Jurgen Klopp on Merseyside.
Back in April, Fabrizio Romano claimed that the 26-year-old was on FSG’s shortlist but that a move wasn't “imminent”, though Spanish outlet Sport (via TEAMtalk) has since reported that the Reds, alongside Premier League rivals Arsenal and Manchester United, are considering an approach – and as per the latest update, they could yet steal Neves from under their rivals' noses.
Who is signing Neves?
According to Football Insider, Liverpool have a “concrete” interest in Neves ahead of the 2023/24 season. Barcelona are currently in “pole position” to recruit the midfielder amid reports of a swap deal including Ansu Fati, but Wolves are only looking to complete a cash-only deal – which creates a roadblock at Camp Nou.
The Anfield outfit are therefore “lurking in the wings” and ready to hijack the move should an agreement fail to be reached. A “well-placed” Reds source has revealed that the Old Gold skipper is “highly regarded” for his passing range by the recruitment team behind the scenes, with chiefs of the opinion that he would fit “seamlessly” into the starting XI.
Liverpool might not be on the road to qualifying for the Champions League this season, but Neves – dubbed a midfield “orchestrator” by talent scout Jacek Kulig – will know that they are a club with a strong history of silverware, and FSG should certainly think about submitting a bid to bring him to Anfield.
The World Cup participant is extremely strong in the defensive aspects of his game, ranking in the 98th percentile for clearances and recording 78 tackles since the start of the term, which is more than any other of his fellow teammates, as per FBref. Meanwhile, he’s also equally capable of getting involved with the action in the final third.
Wolves’ versatile operator, who has the ability to play in three different positions, has seven goal contributions (six goals and one assist) to his name in the top flight this campaign and has produced 78 shot-creating actions which, once again, is the highest number at Molineux, so he could arguably be forgiven for thinking he has outgrown the team, which only confirmed their Premier League status in recent weeks.
Neves also shares the same agency, Gestifute, as Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota and Fabinho, so this existing connection to Jorge Mendes could give Liverpool some kind of advantage over their fellow competitors in the race to secure their target’s signature this summer.