Manchester United have reportedly joined Arsenal in the race to sign Wolves’ 24-year-old midfielder Ruben Neves.
United have hit rock bottom under interim manager Ralf Rangnick and now that the transfer window is open, the German manager is eager to bring in some urgent reinforcements. And as per The Sun, Rangnick is eyeing a move for the Wolves midfielder.
This is not the first instance when Man United have been linked with the 24-year-old but this time, even Arsenal are eyeing a move for him meaning the Old Trafford outfit have a massive battle on their hands.
Man United and Arsenal set for a serious battle for Ruben Neves?
Arsenal have found one solid defensive midfielder in the form of Thomas Partey and now Mikel Arteta wants Ruben Neves to become his long-term partner.
Granit Xhaka has been a long-serving player at the club but if the Gunners wants to challenge for the top-four seriously then they need an upgrade to the Swiss international.
Man United went down to Wolves in their first match of 2022 and Ralf Rangnick desperately needs a world-class central midfielder in order to steady the ship. Some sources are claiming that the German is eyeing someone from the Bundesliga but the club is likely to opt for a safer option like Ruben Neves rather than gambling on an unknown Bundesliga star.
United are ready to spend money this month but they will have a triple battle in hand if they are serious about landing the midfielder. Firstly, they will have to fend off interest from Arsenal, a club who are doing really well in the Premier League and then they will have to convince Wolves for a mid-season sale.
Thirdly, Ralf Rangnick will have to persuade Ruben Neves to leave Bruno Lage’s side and join a faltering Manchester United.
Will Wolves let Ruben Neves leave in January?
As per the rumours, Man United and Arsenal are both ready to offer around £35 million for Ruben Neves but Wolves want £40 million for him.
Ruben Neves among Man Utd’s holding midfielders this season:
• passes under pressure – 178 [1st]
• passes into final third – 108 [1st]
• progressive passes – 76 [1st]
• tackles won – 24 [1st]Impressed in his Old Trafford audition, too… 🇵🇹🇵🇹 pic.twitter.com/HMfWCbvBgg
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) January 5, 2022
Both sides are more than capable of paying such an amount but it’s being claimed that Bruno Lage is not eager to part ways with such a big asset during the middle of the season.
Neves’ current deal with Wolves expires in 2024 so the manager is in no hurry to sell the midfielder. This means the only thing that will convince him to sell is if either Man United or Arsenal make a crazy bid or if Ruben Neves shows a desire to leave in January.
Ruben Neves has been instrumental for Wolves this season, gathering a rating of 7.36 out of 10 so Lage would much rather hold him for the remainder of the season instead of selling him to one of his direct rivals.
