Former Premier League footballer Jamie O’Hara is surprised that Manchester United have not made a move for Wolves’ Ruben Neves this summer.
Manchester United have only brought in right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka and wide player Daniel James so far in the off-season – and have allowed Ander Herrera to leave for Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer.
O’Hara believes that United should be in the market for someone of Neves’ calibre, labelling the Portuguese as a “top-four football player”.
He told TalkSPORT (via The Birmingham Mail): “I don’t think they [Wolves] are going to let anyone go at this late stage, I would be surprised.
“But Neves is a fantastic player – I am surprised Manchester United, who are after midfielders, are not in for someone like him because he showed last season he is a top-four football player.”
O’Hara seems to believe that United have missed the opportunity to welcome Neves to Old Trafford this summer, although his recommendation to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side is hardly surprising despite the Wolves man’s lack of goal involvement from defensive midfield last season.
Neves was a regular for Wolves as they followed up promotion with a seventh-place finish that sealed the club’s return to European football.
Meanwhile, WhoScored denote the 22-year-old as having no significant weaknesses alongside a multitude of strengths, including playing through balls and strong concentration – the latter of which cannot be said for United midfielder Fred (per the same analysts), for example.
Also, Herrera’s departure doesn’t leave too many options in the centre of the United midfield, and with Solskjaer often opting for a three-strong contingent in the middle of the park, beefing up the depth in that position has been seemingly neglected so far this summer.
And with little time remaining to do deals before the season gets underway, it looks increasingly like the words of O’Hara will go largely ignored at Old Trafford.
