Manchester United Opinion: Why Ruben Neves will be a smart fit for United?
According to February’s report from the Sun, Manchester United are plotting a summer swoop for Wolves star Ruben Neves, but his £100m valuation is acting as a stumbling block.
The Portuguese, 22, has been a phenomenal hit during his first Premier League season with Wolves, having led the side to a seventh-placed finish this campaign. He helped the Wanderers storm to the Championship title in the 2017/18 season.
Ruben Neves’ step up to the Premier League has been effortless, as the midfield ace ended his first-ever season in England’s top-flight with four goals and three assists in 35 games. Keeping his performances in mind for Wolves this past campaign, Manchester United must reignite their interest in the 22-year-old in the summer.
United started life under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in superb form, winning eight matches in a row and 14 of their first 17 games in all competitions. However, with their 2-0 loss to relegated Cardiff City on the final day, they ended the season with just two wins from their final 14 matches.
The drop-off was a reminder that Solskjaer has a massive job in hands at Old Trafford and will need to recruit clever ahead of the new campaign. It’s imperative the Reds get their recruitment absolutely spot on to give the 46-year-old tactician the tools he needs to challenge for a top-four finish next campaign.
While addressing the defensive problems has to be United’s no.1 priority, Solskjaer also needs to strengthen his options in the midfield, with Ander Herrera having left the club and Juan Mata’s contract expiring next season. Paul Pogba’s future remains up in the air, while the likes of Fred, Nemanja Matic and Andreas Pereira have failed to live up to the expectations of the fans.
Ruben Neves could the answer to United’s problems in midfield, whilst being the perfect replacement for the departed Herrera. The 22-year-old operates as a deep-lying playmaker and controls the tempo of the game with his passing and crossing abilities. He is an excellent distributor of the ball from the middle of the park and equally efficient in breaking up the play with his tackling skills.
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The Portuguese is capable of delivering long-range scorchers and is also good from dead-ball situations, something which could be very useful for United. Neves’ style of play is exactly what will help the likes of Pogba, Scott McTominay and even Jesse Lingard to express themselves with no defensive concern.
Verdict
Nevertheless, Neves still has a lot of room for improvement as he is just 22 years old. If Solskjaer could get the best out of the Portuguese, the midfielder would justify his huge £100 million price-tag.
