Transfer guru Dean Jones believes that Newcastle United target Ruben Neves could well have his head turned amid speculation.
The Magpies are keeping their cards very close to their chest this month, with Eddie Howe constantly bringing up how the club won’t handcuff themselves for future windows to come.
However, with Bruno Guimaraes set to potentially miss a couple of weeks with his ankle injury that was sustained against Fulham last weekend, the club could well now be forced into the market for a new midfielder.
Even prior to Guimaraes’ injury, Newcastle had Jonjo Shelvey and Elliot Anderson out injured, which had seen the Magpies linked with players including Youri Tielemans, Moises Caicedo and Neves.
Newcastle’s links with Neves come with the Portugal ace having 18 months left on his deal, and Jones has claimed on the Chasing Green Arrows YouTube channel that amid growing interest from the Premier League, his head could now be turned.
He said: “You could easily turn the player’s head with an offer. He’s considering his future right now. He’s been very loyal to Wolves so far, maybe he does see out his contract.”
Would Neves start for Newcastle?
Yes!
No!
Jones then later admitted that Neves’ future could be impacted by the way Wolves have managed to turn things around under Julen Lopetegui very quickly, adding:
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he now, given Wolves have turned the corner and are actually looking like they might have a decent end to the season if he actually sees [his deal] out, but as I say, if you want to try and turn his head, now is the time.”
TIF Thoughts on Neves’ future…
Interestingly, Ruben Neves took a swipe at Newcastle for their long-ball play after Wolves’ draw against the Magpies earlier this season.
It would be a major coup for Newcastle if they could beat competition from the likes of Liverpool to the signing of Neves – especially mid-season, as he could be exactly what they need to free up Guimaraes further forward.
Last season, when Guimaraes joined in January, he was a major threat in the final third, finishing the campaign with five goals and one assist. However, he’s not hit the same attacking heights this season with just three goals to his name, which could be down to a more restricted role in light of Shelvey’s continued absence.
Neves, who has been hailed as ‘outstanding‘, has just 18 months on his contract which will have likely attracted Newcastle’s interest, and with them having a chance of finishing in the top four this season, he could well be attracted to a move up to Tyneside either this month or in the summer.