Ruben Neves
Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves ‘might decide to stay’ put at Molineux during the summer transfer window, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.
The Lowdown: Neves’ contract running down
The 25-year-old’s future has been a major talking point of late, with a number of reports linking him to a move away in the near future.
Neves’ importance to Wolves has remained enormous this season, under both Bruno Lage and Julen Lopetegui, scoring five goals in the Premier League.
His contract is slowly running down, however, and will expire at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.
The Latest: Journo backs midfielder to stay
Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke hinted that Neves might want to remain at Molineux beyond this season:
“The prospect of working with a top coach like Julen Lopetegui, I think all top players want to work with the top coaches and I’m sure that Ruben Neves is thinking it as well.
“If he can see improvement from Wolves, maybe a long-term strategy and a plan of where the club wants to be, he might decide to stay.”
The Verdict: Bigger than any signing
In many ways, Wolves fans have been resigned to Neves moving on eventually, with an exit last summer on the cards, having waved goodbye to supporters after the final league game.
Similarly, it would be a surprise if he stayed put this summer, with the £50,000-a-week midfielder rumoured to be eyeing up a move to Barcelona, having been hailed as ‘outstanding’ by journalist Tim Spiers.
Should Neves stay, though, it would arguably feel more important than any new signing Lopetegui brings in, with his peak years possibly still to come and his leadership on the pitch standing out more as each season passes.
In an ideal world, Wolves’ entire team would be built around the 37-cap Portugal international, although it would be hard to begrudge him a move elsewhere after 238 appearances for the club.
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