Ruben Neves, who has long been on the radar of Barcelona as a transfer target, may instead choose to join Saudi club Al Hilal.
Neves was thought to have been waiting for a move to Barcelona all summer, but now he is more probable to join Al Hilal after they came for him.
The Wolverhampton Wolves captain first joined the club in 2017. He soon became one of their best players as he helped them to rise to the Premier League. With only one year left on his contract, the club is keen to cash in on him. It would also help them massively with FFP rules.
Why did Ruben Neves’s Barcelona deal collapse?
Neves was rumored in January to join Barcelona, and the player was also very keen on the move. His agent Jorge Mendes had already negotiated all the terms of the deal and his salary as well.
Barcelona who are also battling FFP rules was said to be including winger Ansu Fati in the deal. The club was adamant that the deal must be a player swap deal, with no transfer fees included. This is due to their precarious financial situation. But Fati does not want to leave, stalling the negotiations.
Manager Xavi Hernandez also reportedly did not want Neves to sign for the club, preferring other options. Importantly, he wanted the club to sign either Joshua Kimmich or Martin Zubimendi after the departure of the veteran captain Sergio Busquets.
Barcelona is also in the market for other targets. They are considering going for Ilkay Gundogan, and Bernardo Silva among many other targets. This has made them consider the Ruben Neves deal as not a priority at this moment.
All of this uncertainty around the player, with Wolves agitated at the lack of progress in negotiations, led to the deal collapsing.
How much has Al Hilal offered for Ruben Neves?
Neves’s agent has already met with Al Hilal officials in London and an agreement has been reached on personal terms as well. The player has also been convinced to join the Saudi league, even though he is in his prime and is still just 26 years old.
And now Wolves have also been convinced to sell the midfielder to Al Hilal. The Saudi club is prepared to offer a sum close to 47 million euros. If it gets done, it will be the highest transfer fee received in the club’s history. The previous record was Diogo Jota’s transfer to Liverpool for 45 million euros.
Al Hilal have submitted huge bid to sign Rubén Neves. Negotiations underway as Wolves prefer to sell immediately after long wait for Barcelona 🚨🇵🇹🇸🇦
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 18, 2023
Talks are advanced also with Neves as @MatteMoretto reported — he agreed personal terms with Barça in May but no green light yet. pic.twitter.com/cW1lGja1Qz
Neves is sure to leave the club, after appearing to bid farewell to the supporters in his last game. If he decides to join the Saudi Pro League, he could become the next footballer to leave European football for the league. Already Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and N’golo Kante have joined the league. More stars will also be offered deals to join the club.
Al Hilal is also in talks to sign Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku as well. In the coming days, we may see the two Premier League players join forces in the Saidi league.
