Man United 'involved in advanced talks' with Wolves star Ruben Neves as Erik ten Hag aims to bolster midfield

Manchester United have entered ‘into negotiations’ with Wolves star Ruben Neves ahead of a potential stunning move to Old Trafford in the summer, according to reports.

United manager Erik ten Hag overhauled the Red Devils’ weakened midfield last summer with the arrivals of Christian Eriksen on a free and Casemiro from Real Madrid.

Ten Hag has opted for a preferred midfield partnership of Casemiro and Eriksen, which has had a significant impact for United in the 2022-23 campaign.

However, the United boss is lacking midfield depth, with Fred often used in rotation while Scott McTominay’s long-term future at Old Trafford is in doubt amid interest from Newcastle.

Marcel Sabitzer has impressed for United since his January loan move from Bayern Munich, but the Austrian midfielder’s long-term future at the club is dependent on if the defending German champions are willing to sell in the summer.

According to Sport, United are ‘already in talks’ with Neves in a bid to strengthen Ten Hag’s midfield options next season.

Neves’ current deal with Wolves expires in 2024 and Barcelona have reportedly backed out of the race to sign him, with United now the firm favourites to land him.

The 26-year-old Portuguese midfielder, who was heavily linked with Manchester City in 2019, has made 33 appearances for Wolves this season and scored five times.

Neves arrived at Wolves when they were in the Championship from Porto and was reunited with then-manager Nuno.

The Portugal international, who cost a reported £15.8m in 2017, has been a crucial influence in the Wolves midfield since his transfer to the Molineux.

Wolves reportedly valued Neves at around £75m last summer, but it is believed the Premier League club have ‘dropped’ their price tag to £50m due to his contract expiring next summer.

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Topics: Manchester United, Premier League, England, Football, Wolverhampton Wanderers

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

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