Star Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Ruben Neves admitted that his future with the Premier League club is in doubt after reported interest from Spanish giants, Barcelona.
Following the final game of the season, a loss to Liverpool at Anfield, the 25-year-old said that he needs to “live his football dreams,” despite five successful seasons at the Molineaux.
“Everyone knows about what football is about, what our lives are about,” Neves said (h/t Tim Spiers, The Athletic). “Our careers are really short, we need to take the opportunities we have.
“Of course, all of us have dreams and we need to live those dreams in a short space of time. Let’s see what happens. I cannot say too much about it.”
There’s no denying that Wolves holds a special place in Neves’ heart after joining the club in 2017 from Porto.
His arrival directly correlated with Wolves’ rise up the English ranks, helping them finish first in the Championship to gain promotion to the Premier League in his first year.
Wolves finished seventh in 2019 and 2020 before mid-table finishes of 13th and 10th the last two years.
“This club means everything for me, for my family,” Neves continued. “My kids grew up in Wolverhampton; I have three kids, they were all born when I was here.
“That means a lot to me and the people mean a lot to me because they really helped me to settle here. For me, for my family, everyone is really important.”
Reports have already surfaced that Wolverhampton will be willing to sell its star at the right price.
For a re-tooling Barcelona side that finished 13 points behind Real Madrid for the 2021-22 La Liga title, Neves would be an important get to change the culture.
The Mirror also reported that Premier League sides Arsenal and Manchester United have shown interest.
Both teams finished outside Champions League qualification this season in fifth and sixth respectively.
United offers the promise of not just a different future with new manager Erik ten Hag but Neves playing alongside his Portuguese countryman in Cristiano Ronaldo.
