Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves has completed his £47m move to Al Hilal in the Saudi League. Neves has agreed to certain conditions, and this week we anticipate a formal announcement. After a probable deal to Barcelona fell through, the midfielder is willing to make the change. Neves expressed his desire to play Champions League football as he faced his uncertain future near the end of the season.
“Let’s see what happens while we wait. I keep saying it: I’m here because I genuinely want to be. My ambition to compete in the Champions League is something I never deny,” Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves said. “Making that decision will be crucial for my family and I as it is essential to achieve your major goals in football.”
The 26-year-old has been linked with Manchester United in prior transfer seasons. His contract at Molineux is set to expire next summer. In 35 Premier League appearances for Wolves during the 2022–23 Premier League season, Portugal midfielder Neves tallied six goals and one assist. In July 2017, he transferred from Porto to Wolves, where he has since played 253 times. Neves would follow in the footsteps of his international teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, who joined Al Nassr in December of last year, as the most recent well-known player to go to the Saudi Pro League.
Karim Benzema, a former Real Madrid striker and the current Ballon d’Or winner, has also moved to Saudi Arabia this summer. After leaving Real Madrid after 14 years, the 35-year-old signed for Al Ittihad, who are led by former Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo. According to reports, teams in the Gulf State are interested in signing Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez as well as the Chelsea trio of N’Golo Kante, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Hakim Ziyech.
“I think the main culprit for this inaccuracy is Saudi Arabian football. Why is that causing them problems? They should invest in academies, pay coaches, and develop their own players becaus,” UEFA president Alexander Ceferin said. “Football does not advance via the practise of buying players whose careers were about to end. It was the same mistake in China when they all imported players who were nearing the end of their careers.”
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