Chelsea have reportedly identified Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves as a top target for the winter transfer window.
The Blues have suffered a blip recently, winning just once in their last four Premier League games. This has led to them slipping from the top to third in the table, leaving the Pensioners six points adrift of league leaders Manchester City. In a bid to get their title challenge back on track, the west London outfit could look to reinforce their squad next month.
According to Spanish news outlet TodoFichajes, Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel wants to bolster his midfield options for the second half of the season and has requested the board to sign Wolves star Ruben Neves. However, Wolves don’t want to lose one of their prized assets midway through the season and would only listen to offers starting from €45M, the report adds.
Neves, 24, has established himself as one of the Premier League’s most exciting central midfielders in recent years. Since helping Wolves achieve promotion to the English top-flight in 2018, the Portuguese international has gone on to make 126 league appearances, netting 12 goals.
The 24-year-old midfielder, who has a contract at Molineux until 2024, has featured in all but one of the Wanderers’ Premier League games so far this season under Bruno Lage, registering a goal and an assist.
Ruben Neves to Chelsea—A solid midfield option for Thomas Tuchel?
Chelsea have had problems in midfield this season. N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic have missed large chunks of the season with injuries. Saul Niguez, arriving on a season-long loan from Atletico Madrid in the summer, has failed to adapt to the rigours of Premier League football and put in some underwhelming performances. The Blues are unlikely to turn the Spaniard’s loan move into a permanent deal at the end of the season following his struggles.
Also with Jorginho turning 30 and Ross Barkley limited to just nine appearances, Thomas Tuchel could well do with a new addition to his midfield unit. In that regard, Ruben Neves would be an ideal fit in Tuchel’s system at Chelsea.
Neves has been operating as a deep-lying playmaker for Wolves in the Premier League and could do a similar job at Chelsea. The 24-year-old has an excellent passing range, both short and long, can break the opposition’s play with his tackling skills and is proficient at scoring long-range goals. In addition, he is an expert set-piece taker.
The Portuguese international would be a terrific addition to Chelsea’s midfield ranks, whilst becoming a long-term replacement for Jorginho. He has the qualities to thrive in Tuchel’s possession-based Chelsea side, offering more creativity and dynamism than the defensive-minded Kante.
At 24, Neves is at the right age to take the next big step in his career and join a European powerhouse, which makes Chelsea the perfect destination in 2022.
