Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Rúben Neves is heading towards a departure from Molineux at the end of the season.
What’s the talk?
That’s according to a report by Spanish publication Sport (via Sport Witness), who claim that Barcelona have given the 25-year-old ‘all kinds of facilities’ to seal a move to the Camp Nou next summer, with the Catalan club said to have the deal ‘completely closed’ should Xavi Hernández decide the Portugal international is a player he would like to add to his squad.
The report goes on to state that, despite the Premier League side valuing Neves at €50m (£43m) a few months ago, Jorge Mendes has proposed the LaLiga outfit a ‘very favourable’ economic deal to sign the midfielder, with Barca said to have an ‘agreement to incorporate’ the Wolves star at the end of the season – should Xavi decide upon a move for the 25-year-old.
Huge loss
Considering just how important a part of the Wolves side Neves has very much proven himself to be over the past few seasons – averaging a Sofascore match rating of 7.00 or higher in each of his last four Premier League campaigns with the club – the midfielder’s apparent impending departure will undoubtedly come as a huge loss to Julen Lopetegui.
Indeed, despite the Old Gold’s struggles in the league this season, the £34.5m-rated talent has nevertheless highly impressed over his 14 Premier League fixtures, having already hit the back of the net four times – making him the club’s top scorer – as well as taking an average of 1.9 shots, making 0.9 key passes and completing 0.4 dribbles per game.
The £50k-per-week maestro has also caught the eye in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 2.9 tackles, 1.4 interceptions, 2.4 clearances and winning 4.5 duels – at a success rate of 53% – per match, in addition to playing 7.1 long balls, 5.1 chipped passes and completing 52.1 total passes – at a success rate of 85% – per outing.
These returns have seen the player who David Cartlidge dubbed “unreal” average a simply sensational Sofascore match rating of 7.29, not only ranking him by far and away as Wolves’ best performer in the league but also as the joint 13th-best player in the top flight of English football as a whole – an extraordinary feat considering his side’s 20th placed standing in the league.
As such, with it being evident that Neves is key in the defensive, creative and attacking elements of Wolves’ game, the argument that losing the services of the 37-cap international would be a huge loss for Lopetegui is an easy one to make – as the Portuguese ace is very much the beating heart of the Old Gold side, and is not far off being irreplaceable for the West Midlands outfit.