Wolves are reportedly now growing increasingly confident of keeping Ruben Neves this summer.
According to Mail Plus, the club had been bracing to losing the midfield maestro earlier in the window.
After a fantastic 2021/22 campaign, it was expected that several teams could come in for the 25-year-old.
But no club has yet acted on their interest, with Wolves’ £70 million asking price seemingly serving as an effective deterrent.
Many supporters are shocked that Neves remains a Wolves player at this point.
He cut an emotional figure after each of the last two games of 2021/22 against Norwich City and Liverpool.
And there was talk of a big rebuild at the club, and Neves’ sale was seen as the catalyst to potentially kickstart that.
But it’s now looking like Neves will stay. He is a ‘central figure’ in Bruno Lage’s plans as per the report.
And according to Mail Plus, if Wolves do manage to hold onto the player beyond this window, then talks over a new deal will likely commence.
And there is ‘cautious optimism on both sides that an agreement can be reached’.
Just one month remains for Wolves to hang onto their talisman, with Manchester United the club most heavily linked.
The Red Devils are hoping to sign Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona but that deal is proving very complicated. It could well seem them launch a late bid for Neves.
Encouraging news on Ruben Neves; Wolves keeping him would be a major boost
There was a lot of talk about Neves going earlier this summer. It could yet still happen, but one gets the feeling Wolves won’t want to cash in at this late stage.
Neves staying may not lead to an influx of new players as a lot of fans hoped for.
But most fans would absolutely love for the Portuguese maestro to stay.
Ultimately, he’s one of, if not the best player ever to wear the Wolves shirt, and the team would be much better with him in it.
And potentially, he could go to an even higher level if Wolves can master their new system.