Wolverhampton Wanderers star Ruben Neves is reportedly on the radar of Manchester United, as interim boss Ralf Rangnick continues his search for a new midfielder.
The Red Devils’ priority remains the summer transfer window but Ralf Rangnick and co. are open to doing business this month if a long-term target becomes attainable. And after substandard performances from midfielders like Scott McTominay, Fred and Nemanja Matic since his arrival, Rangnick has set his sights on a new midfielder.
According to The Sun, Manchester United are determined to sign Ruben Neves from Wolves in the ongoing transfer window. They could make an offer in the region of £35million to entice the Portuguese midfielder away from Molineux, but Wolves will only listen to offers upwards of £40m for one of their prized assets, the report adds.
Neves, 24, who has a contract at Molineux until 2024, has previously spoken of his desire to play in the Champions League. He, alongside Joao Moutinho, bossed Man United’s midfield in Wolves’ 1-0 win at Old Trafford earlier this week, catching the eye of Ralf Rangnick in the process.
Ruben Neves to Man United—A smashing midfield signing for Ralf Rangnick?
Manchester United’s need for a controlling midfielder is clear for everyone to see, with Fred and Scott McTominay not doing enough in a double-pivot for the last few years. Nemanja Matic is well past his prime, while Donny Van de Beek has struggled to break into the first XI since arriving from Ajax in the summer of 2020, with his future looking set to be away from Old Trafford.
With the likes of Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard out of contracts at the end of the season, reinforcing the midfield options has become of paramount importance for the Red Devils. And Man United seem to have reignited their interest in Ruben Neves after failing to land him in the summer.
Neves has been with Wolves since 2017 and has proven himself as a top Premier League performer since the Midlands club earned promotion back to the top flight a few years ago. The Portuguese international could be exactly what Manchester United need at the moment—a deep-lying playmaker with excellent passing, distribution and shooting skills with tenacious tackling ability.
He is a workhorse in the centre of the pitch and has the skill-set to dictate the tempo of a game. The ex-FC Porto man would be a perfect fit in the side and there is little doubt he would improve their dysfunctional and uninspiring midfield. At 24, Neves is at the perfect age to make the step up to a bigger club and a move to Old Trafford would just be ideal.
With Man United facing a huge fight to finish in the top four, signing a player like Ruben Neves this month could turn out to be a game-changer.