According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves’ “most likely destination” is Barcelona if he is sold in the summer.
The arrival of Neves at Molineux in 2017 shocked English football. After all, the Old Gold were a Championship club at the time, and the midfielder carried with him a fantastic pedigree, having become the youngest player to captain a Champions League side when he skippered Porto at the age of 18 years and 221 days in 2015.
Will Neves leave this summer?
Yes
No
The £15.8m outlay was then a club-record fee, but Neves’ performances have made it look a bargain. However, as per Ornstein, the 25-year-old could be allowed to move on if a respectable offer is lodged as he looks to play Champions League football once more. Barcelona are said to be leading the race for his signature, although other English sides are also interested and Wolves will look to offer him a new deal.
But what would Neves’ departure mean? We take a look at the potential consequences of a transfer.
Big loss in midfield
Neves has been a mainstay throughout Wolves’ ascent to the top half of the Premier League. Incredibly, he has missed only 12 league games since his switch and found the back of the net 24 times. Not bad for a predominantly defensive-minded midfielder, especially given the spectacular nature of several of those strikes.
Neves averages 2.3 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per league game, both of which see him rank highly amongst his teammates. Also, his displays at club level have earned him 26 Portugal caps, a number that would perhaps be higher were it not for the intense competition for places in Fernando Santos’ squad.
Valued at £36m, he is an important asset, but if Bruno Lage and co wanted to replace him with a fresh face instead of promoting from within, you would imagine the majority of any transfer fee would need to be immediately reinvested to find a player of similar quality.
Fosun could save millions with chance for Gibbs-White
At one point, it looked as though Morgan Gibbs-White had evolved into a key member of Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad, featuring in 26 Premier League matches during the 2018/19 campaign. However, punishment for breaking pandemic protocols in 2020 and an unsuccessful loan spell at Swansea City stunted his progress.
He was again shipped out temporarily at the start of this season, with him moving to Sheffield United. This time, he has grabbed his opportunity with both hands, impressing as the Blades have pushed for promotion back to the Premier League.
In 28 second-tier outings, he has managed nine goals and seven assists, with star turns in wins against Cardiff City and Swansea City illustrating his capabilities. Just last month, he was labelled as “outstanding” by Barnsley manager Poya Asbaghi.
This summer, Gibbs-White will come to a crossroads. At 22, time is arguably running out for him to stake a claim at Wolves, but the potential departure of Neves could well open the door to the first team.
TIF Verdict…
No one will want to admit it, but losing Neves would be a huge disappointment, especially given that Joao Moutinho is coming to the end of his time at Wolves. The two are the heartbeat of this side, their quality constantly shining through.
It would also further underline Wolves’ standing in the European footballing pecking order. Adama Traore was not as influential as the aforementioned duo, but he certainly had his qualities. However, he made the move to Barcelona in January and has since excelled, managing four assists in 10 matches for the Blaugrana.
Diogo Jota and Rui Patricio are amongst other star players to have moved on to pastures, and at some point, the exit of key performers will impact results. Hopefully for Wolves, they will be able to push on even if Neves does depart.