Wolverhampton Wanderers have reportedly increased their interest in signing Barcelona midfielder Nico GonzAlez, according to a report from Spanish outlet Sport.
The lowdown: Neves makeweight?
Ultimately this may all boil down to the future of Ruben Neves at Molineux. Heavily linked with a summer move to Camp Nou, the 25-year-old has seemingly been edging towards the exit door for some time now.
As it stands, no substantial offers have been forthcoming from Spain, and it's believed that cash-strapped Barcelona could look to their own ranks in order to sweeten the deal from a Wolves perspective.
One man of interest to Bruno Lage in such circumstances appears to be 20-year-old midfield wonderkid Gonzalez.
The latest: Wolves ramp up Gonzalez interest
As per Sport, Wolves have 'intensified their interest' in including the Spain under-21 international as part of any move for Neves this summer.
It is claimed that, having been offered alternative squad players such as Riqui Puig, Oscar Mingueza and Martin Braithwaite, the 'only one' of interest to Lage is Gonzalez, who has been tipped to replace Sergio Busquets and hailed as a 'super intelligent' player by former La Masia coach Fran Artiga.
The report added that the Old Gold have valued Neves at €50m (£43m), a figure that Barcelona won't be able to match without including a player in any prospective deal.
The verdict: Wolves must stand firm
Featuring in 142 of Wolves' 152 Premier League matches since their return to the top flight four years ago, the Molineux club cannot afford to allow such an integral member of the squad to leave without being adequately reimbursed.
As it seems that Barcelona cannot afford to meet the asking price for Neves, including a player such as Gonzalez into the deal would perhaps be a better option for the Old Gold, as Lage gets an immediate replacement for the influential Portuguese star while also refreshing the ranks with a younger midfield option.
After 27 La Liga outings in 2021/22, the youngster - who shares a stylistic likeness to the likes of Manchester City star Bernando Silva, Borussia Dortmund sensation Jude Bellingham and Aston Villa's teenage ace Jacob Ramsey (FBRef) - has already proven to be a trusted performer at an elite level.
Therefore, signing the Spaniard would be a smart piece of business from Wolves, especially if it helps to offset the likely departure of Neves.
In other news: Two clubs are targeting this Wolves gem