Wolves do not intend to sell captain Ruben Neves this month despite Barcelona interest
Wolves have no intention of selling captain Ruben Neves this month but are braced for offers for the midfielder at the end of the season.
Neves was namechecked by Barcelona president Joan Laporta this week and is on the La Liga giants’ shortlist to replace veteran Sergio Busquets, who has yet to decide whether this will be his last season with the club.
The 25-year-old stayed at Wolves last summer as no club came close to matching their valuation but the end of the current campaign may be a different story, as Neves’ current deal expires in 2024.
Despite Wolves’ struggles, Neves has still had a strong season and enjoys working with new boss Julen Lopetegui, who gave the Portugal star his debut when the pair were at FC Porto.
He is a hugely influential figure within the squad as they fight to stay in the Premier League.
Laporta called Neves ‘a great player’ this week but there is little chance of any activity in this transfer window.
Ahead of his side’s FA Cup third-round tie at Liverpool on Saturday, Lopetegui said: ‘I understand your interest in the transfer window, but our interest is only for the match tomorrow.
Ruben Neves is a fantastic player, he is a Wolves player and he is going to continue being a Wolves player.’
This is Neves’ sixth season at Wolves after joining the club from Porto for £16million in 2017. During the first part of his career at Molineux, Wolves were promoted and established themselves in the Premier League, also reaching the quarter-finals of the Europa League in 2020.
