Ruben Neves was supposed to be ‘interested in joining’ Manchester United if a deal was feasible.
According to Football Insider, the experienced midfielder is considering returning to Europe after almost three years plying his trade in Saudi Arabia.
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Neves joined Al-Hilal from Wolverhampton Wanderers, whom he captained during his final season at the club, in a £47m deal in 2023.
To date he has amassed 112 appearances for the Saudi team, scoring 17 goals and assisting a further 28 in all competitions.
Neves opens the door to the return of the Premier League
(Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)
Despite playing in the Middle East and not being in the spotlight in the same way he was in the Premier League, the 28-year-old has remained a mainstay in Portugal’s national team set-up and will look to play an integral role for his country at this summer’s World Cup.
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Returning to England would certainly be a way to ensure he is up to speed ahead of the tournament, as the English top flight is widely regarded as the most competitive division in world football.
*Complete file of Neves in the PL (Transfermarkt)
If he prefers to move to Old Trafford mid-season, he would be competing to secure Champions League qualification with the Red Devils while partnering the likes of Casemiro, Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte.
What a deal for Neves could look like financially
(Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
What’s more, Al-Hilal are believed to be seeking a fee of just £17m to sell Neves this month due to his contract expiring in June, and have rejected offers to extend his stay beyond his current deal. Unfortunately, they risk losing such a valuable asset for nothing in just five months.
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However, one factor that may deter United from making a formal approach is that the former Molineux talisman earns between £300-330,000 a week, a salary that puts him on par with the Reds’ top earners Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes.
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