Former Wolves captain Ruben Neves has spoken out about his future, amid recent speculation he could already be on the move from Al Hilal.
Neves was the first sale by Wolves in the summer window – and he made a move that surprised everyone.
Most knew that he would be moving on, but many thought he would head to Barcelona, with the Spanish giants having long been mentioned as potential suitors.
But Neves joined Saudi club Al Hilal, who paid Wolves a reported £47 million for the midfielder.
That sale and a number of other departures really helped Wolves to ease their financial situation.
Just recently, there has been some talk about Neves leaving Al Hilal in January – and the 26-year-old has now had his say amid the speculation…
Former Wolves captain Ruben Neves says he’s going nowhere in January
In recent weeks it has been claimed that Newcastle United could make a move for Neves, as they have lost Sandro Tonali was 10 months after he breached betting rules.
The story prompted a big response because Newcastle are owned by PIF, who also own Al Hilal and three other clubs in Saudi Arabia.
Premier League clubs recently voted on whether to temporarily ban loans between clubs with the same owners. But the motion did not receive enough support – Wolves were one of seven clubs to vote against the temporary ban.
The result of the vote means that Newcastle are free to sign Neves.
But the Magpies can forget about that now, because Neves has actually insisted he isn’t going anywhere in January. Revealing previous interest from Newcastle, the former Molineux skipper said (BBC Sport): “I don’t go. I think that’s rumours because of the owner of the clubs of course, and because I’ve played in England as well.
“There was Newcastle interest before I came here but I’m really happy here, my family’s really happy, so I’m having a great time.
“Everything is going really well for me and I want to stay here.”
There had also been some talk about interest from Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
The words Wolves fans had hoped to hear
So Neves looks like he’ll be staying put at Al Hilal – and that is likely to come as a relief to many Wolves fans.
When Neves made the move to Saudi, many Wolves fans were actually fairly pleased because it meant that the midfielder would not be playing for a side that’d be coming up against Wolves. As much as they also felt it was a big step down for him.
For a lot of people, it was almost easier to accept his departure knowing he wouldn’t be helping another Premier League side.
The Newcastle rumours have not sat well with some, and it would certainly have been a strange feeling to see him in a black and white shirt to say the least. But thankfully, it doesn’t look like that’ll be happening.