Wolves reportedly do not want to let Ruben Neves leave the club on a free transfer.
The midfielder’s contract at Molineux expires in the summer of 2024, and the expectation has been that he will depart in the next window.
Barcelona are interested in the player, although there have been some suggestions that Xavi isn’t completely set on the 26-year-old.
The Telegraph have today provided a bit more information on the Neves situation.
They say that Wolves will not accept anything less than £45 million for Neves in the next window.
The club have no desire to do any swap or player-plus-cash deals.
That comes after there was a claim that Wolves were going to offer Neves plus cash for Ansu Fati.
But The Telegraph add that Wolves don’t want to let Neves leave the club on a free transfer in the summer of 2024.
If nobody meets the £45 million asking price in the next window, then it’s possible the club will do everything in its power to get Neves to sign a new contract, if they are determined not to lose him for free.
£45 million is a fair price this summer for Ruben Neves, as Wolves seek to avoid him leaving for free
£45 million is fair asking price for Neves this summer.
The maestro is one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, with few players able to pass the ball as well as him.
This season, he’s also really improved his leadership skills having assumed the captaincy from Conor Coady.
A top club would be lucky to have him and so, £45 million is reasonable.
We shall see if Barca have the financial capability to sign Neves at that price.
The fact Wolves don’t want to do any player-plus-cash deal could complicates things for them.
It is interesting that Wolves have no desire to let Neves run his contract down. One wonders if that suggests they feel good about signing him to a new deal if no one buys him in the next window.