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Wolves: Ruben Neves may seek exit in January amid Barcelona links

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Image for Wolves: Ruben Neves may seek exit in January amid Barcelona links

Rúben Neves may feel it is the right time to leave Wolves in January, amid interest from Barcelona.

That is according to journalist Pete O’Rourke, who was speaking to This is Futbol about the latest transfer news from Molineux.

According to Sport in Spain (via MailOnline), Barcelona have held back on their initial plan to bring Neves to Camp Nou in January, with head coach Xavi fearing that he may not fit his system at the Catalan giants. 

It had initially been suggested that the La Liga club were interested in a loan move for the 25-year-old, with the club inserting a mandatory £43m clause to buy at the end of the loan in the summer. 

And O’Rourke believes now may be the right time for Wolves to sell Neves, with the club potentially heading for a relegation battle.

He said: “I’m sure it’s an exciting project [Barcelona] for a number of players, including Rúben Neves, who has been a great servant for Wolves since he arrived at the club.

“Again, it’s not looking like a new deal is any closer for Neves.

“So, he’ll be thinking that maybe the time is right to move on because Wolves do look like they’re going to be involved in a relegation battle this season as well.”

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TIF Thoughts on O’Rourke’s comments…

We believe that with just over 18 months left on Neves’ contract, Wolves are going to have to make a decision over whether to sell the midfielder for a large fee this winter or keep him and accept losing him for a reduced price next season.

However, with a relegation battle on the cards as it stands, the club will surely be wary of the cataclysmic effect losing one of their best players could have upon a squad already suffering from a severe lack of confidence.

Therefore, despite the financial hit, we think it would be in the best interests of the club to keep hold of Neves – who has previously been described as “outstanding” by The Athletic’s Tim Spiersuntil at least the end of the current campaign.

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