Liverpool have been linked with a move for Ruben Neves, and a new claim has been made by a reliable source on the club’s pursuit of the player ahead of the summer transfer window.
Journalist and transfer expert Dean Jones has claimed that the Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder would be a much-needed addition at Anfield.
When asked about which Premier League clubs will be interested in the 25-year-old this summer, Jones told Football FanCast: “I mean he has been linked with nearly all of them at some point but you have to say that Liverpool would probably be the ones that are most in need of a player like this right now.”
Could Neves be the dream midfield signing for Klopp?
It is beyond doubt that pressure is mounting on the powerbrokers at Anfield to reinvest in the next generation of midfield talent at the club, with a number of players in that position either soon to be out of contract or reaching the latter stages of their careers.
Both Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara are into their 30s and unlikely to be seen as the long-term future in the middle of the park, whilst Naby Keita, Arthur Melo, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner are all currently set for an exit from Liverpool when their contracts expire in the summer.
This leaves Jurgen Klopp with just Fabinho, Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones as his most experienced midfielders under 30, with Stefan Bajcetic also breaking through to attempt to earn his place as a regular feature in the first-team, leaving the Reds with little depth and paving the way for a complete refresh in that area of the pitch.
Both Matheus Nunes and Jude Bellingham have been linked with a move to Merseyside this summer. However, getting in a player like Neves who not only offers longevity at 25 years of age but also a wealth of Premier League experience (162 games) would be massively advantageous in the club’s pursuit to rebuild the midfield.
Across 21 Premier League appearances this season, the £100m-priced titan – who has been dubbed “incredible” by team-mate Hugo Bueno – has scored five goals, completed 60% of his dribbles and tallied an 84% pass completion rate. He has also averaged 2.5 tackles, 2.6 clearances, 76 touches, 51 accurate passes and four successful duels per game, proving to be a huge presence both in progressive play and defensive transition for Wolves.
Furthermore, the Portugal international ranks among the top 21% of his positional peers in the top five European leagues for non-penalty goals, shots on goal, passes attempted, progressive passes, interceptions and clearances, displaying that he has one of the highest quality and most diverse skillsets in Europe.
Following Liverpool’s 1-0 victory over Wolves in the FA Cup last month, Klopp singled out Neves for praise, alongside team-mate and fellow Anfield target Nunes.
The German stated: “When you have Neves in the game it changes everything pretty much, and then when Nunes is on the pitch as well it’s twice as difficult.”
If Klopp could land Neves – and possible Nunes also – in the summer transfer windoe, it could be the dream signing to complete Liverpool’s midfield refresh and improve their performances next season.
Source: footballfancast.com
