With the January transfer window well under way, countless rumours have been swirling around St James' Park about the latest addition Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe could make to his side.
It's been more than an impressive first half of the season for the Magpies - just one loss in their first 19 Premier League matches sees them sat in third, only behind Arsenal and Manchester City, after multiple Newcastle players had their breakout years including Miguel Almiron, Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes.
But after the latter was forced off with an ankle injury that has already seemed to turn heads in the transfer market, it's believed Howe has looked towards a Premier League rival for hope after reports circulated around Wolves ace Ruben Neves being his next target.
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The 25-year-old, who has made 230 appearances for Wolves, is under contract with the Midlands club until the end of 2024 but has refused to rule out a January exit amid reports linking him with a move away from Molineux.
Speaking about the rumours back in August, he told The Times: "Well, let’s see what happens. I try to focus 100 per cent on my football and I had a good start to the season but we need results now.
"If you ask me at the end of last season I would have said to you, 'I will leave,' but I’m still here, so we never know what’s going to happen."
The midfielder remained with the club over the summer however and has made 18 appearances in all competitions this season, missing just one game against Chelsea in October due to amassing too many yellow cards.
But three months before his comments to the Times, Neves might've cryptically sent a hint about how he views his future when he spoke about how he thinks players must 'take the opportunities' given to them.
"Everyone knows about what football is about, what our lives are about," Neves told 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."
With the Magpies light on central midfield due to further injuries to Jonjo Shelvey and Elliot Anderson, the addition of Neves could prove incredibly helpful if they want to continue their run into the Carabao Cup and towards a top four finish in the league.
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