Manchester United may hit the long-term goal of Ruben Neves for £ 35 million this summer as the Wolves aim to raise funds by releasing their point man for a reduced price sum.
Although the replacement for outgoing coach Nuno Espirito Santo has not yet been appointed,. reports that the club is ready to rebuild and that they will have to “sell big to buy big.”
«To that end, the sources have told. that there is an expectation that Ruben Neves will start for a figure in the region of £ 35 million, ”report reporters Tim Spiers and Gregg Evans.
This is a very small figure from the £ 60 million that the Wolves reportedly quoted to United three years ago and represents excellent value for money for a 24-year-old.
A containment midfielder is one of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s top priorities this summer. Despite signing a new three-year contract last summer, Nemanja Matic is not normally the coach’s favorite and it is rumored that he himself will head to Roma to rejoin former coach José Mourinho.
Neither Scott McTominay nor Fred are natural defensive midfielders and have played most of the season as a double pivot, limiting Solskjaer’s options further up the court and, overall, condemning United to a 4-2 formation. 3-1.
A natural number six like Neves would solve this problem.
United has been constantly linked with West Ham’s Declan Rice of late, but the Hammers are likely to play hard with a player they desperately want to keep as they embark on their first Europa League campaign of five years next season.
Jesse Lingard, who has enjoyed a successful loan period in London, could be used as compensation in that deal, but David Gold and the company would still expect substantial cash value on top.
The Express believes United might also be willing to offer Lingard in exchange for Neves, but whether the player would fit in with the new manager’s philosophy and feel at home in a dressing room with more Portuguese players than Benfica’s remains to be seen. .
Rice is seen by most as a purer defensive option than Neves, but the Portuguese’s ability to join the attack could be seen as an advantage. He has scored 20 goals for the Wolves to Rice’s five for West Ham.
And although the England man is two years his junior, the simple fact is that West Ham will seek at least double the amount that the Wolves have set for theirs, making the choice a no-brainer for Manchester United. .
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