According to reports from talkSPORT yesterday, Arsenal and West Ham have joined the race to sign FC Porto prodigy Ruben Neves.
The central midfielder, who team-mate Cristian Tello has compared to Barcelona’s formidable anchor man Sergio Busquets, is only 18 years of age but has already registered 43 senior appearances for the Dragons and became the youngest captain in Champions League history on Tuesday evening.
Chelsea are reportedly preparing a bid for the Portugal U21 in the hope of signing him next summer whilst Liverpool have been tracking him since January and have accelerated their interest since appointing Jurgen Klopp as their new manager earlier this month.
Indeed, Reds scouts were present as Neves captained Porto to a 2-0 win over Maccabi Tel Aviv but according to talkSPORT, who cite Portuguese publication A Bola, they were joined by representatives from Arsenal and West Ham. The radio station’s website claims further scouting missions are widely expected as the January transfer window looms in.
Porto president Pinto de Costa, however, yesterday issued a hands off warning to potential suitors of the record-breaking teenager.
He said; “Ruben has a contract until 2019 and not until 2017, as sometimes I see in writing, and we would like to keep him at FC Porto, as a kind of João Pinto. That is, he was a symbol and legend of the progress of the club for several generations. I never want him to leave Porto.”
The Dragons president may not have much of a choice in the matter, however; Neves’ contract is known to include a £29million release clause.