Barcelona reckon they are on a winner in the race to sign £50million-rated Wolves star Ruben Neves – thanks to a hook-up with Spotify.
The audio streaming platform has made a massive cash injection for a shirt and stadium sponsorship deal at the Nou Camp. Now Barcelona have the financial muscle to revamp their squad. Manchester United and Arsenal are also in the running for playmaker Neves.
Wolves boss Bruno Lage is resigned to losing the Portuguese international and has already made moves to replace the 25-year-old. Former Old Trafford boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer tried to bring Neves to the club, while new manager Erik ten Hag has given his approval for a renewed effort to sign Neves.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta saw a £35m bid for the former Porto star rejected in January. But £50m would hasten the departure of a player who has been at Molinuex for five years. And Barcelona have a good working relationship with the Black Country club.
They are negotiating over winger Franciso Trincao, who has been on loan at Wolves. Barca won’t pay £25m to make Adama Traore’s loan permanent – but a swap deal involving cash and Trincao looks more realistic.
As for United, meanwhile, Neves isn't the only target, with Frenkie de Jong and N'Golo Kante also attracting their attention. However, Ten Hag is thought to remain keen on the 25-year-old.
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According to Sport, a move to Camp Nou remains Neves' preference. The former Porto man has been in England since 2017, when he joined Wolves in what was then a club-record deal, and has reportedly 'made it clear' he would rather join Barca than United.
Super-agent Jorge Mendes is working on a deal for the midfielder, who played for Portugal at Euro 2020. One possible option is a move to Molineux for Blaugrana youngster Nico, who has interested Bruno Lage's club, but Barcelona are reportedly unprepared to let the teenager leave - even on loan.
“Our careers are really short, we need to take the opportunities we have," Neves said after Wolves' final game of the Premier League season, and many interpreted this as paving the way for a summer move. "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.”
Ten Hag has reportedly demanded United's board push for the Portugal international, with the Red Devils after reinforcements in the middle of the park. They already have Neves' international colleague Bruno Fernandes on their books, but are set to lose Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic this summer.
