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Forty seven million pound offer made by Al-Hilal to acquire Wolves captain Ruben Neves

Wolverhampton Wanderers and Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal have agreed a price of 47 million pounds for the acquisition of Ruben Neves. The Midlands club is ready to complete a deal that would see the Portugal international depart England for the Saudi Pro League as soon as possible. Neves, who has one year left on his Wolves contract, is negotiating personal terms with Al Hilal, and a move is set to take place.

The transfer would be a significant statement of purpose from Saudi Arabia, with the 26-year-old possibly becoming the league’s first big-name star in his prime. Neves, who joined Wolves from Porto in 2017 and is out of contract at the end of the season, has been a target for Barcelona for some time but no deal has been reached.

This delay has allowed Al-Hilal to make a substantial offer for the 26-year-old, with discussions continuing between the club and his agent, Jorge Mendes, with Neves expected to finalise the transfer when he returns from international duty next week.

Neves said an emotional farewell to supporters at the end of last season, but it’s surprising that he’s willing to go to Saudi Arabia at the pinnacle of his career, despite the massive income on offer. If the claimed sum is paid, it will surpass the 42 million pounds Liverpool paid for Diogo Jota in 2020 as the largest transfer fee the club has ever gotten for a player.

Neves would join talents like Cristiano Ronaldo and, more recently, Karim Benzema in the Saudi Pro League if he choose to move there. At the 68,000-seat King Fahd International Stadium, he could count former Premier League talents Matheus Pereira and Andre Carrillo as colleagues for Al-Hilal.

Neves had a productive season on his own while playing for Wolves, who finished 13th in the Premier League. For Wolves in 2022–2023, the 26-year-old played in 35 Premier League games and netted six goals.

Recent acquisitions by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) of controlling interests in four Saudi Pro League clubs have sparked a wave of investment in the league. In addition to owning Newcastle United, they also own Al Ahli, Al Ittihad, Al Hilal, and Al Nassr. Karim Benzema recently joined the league, while N’Golo Kante is reportedly another addition.

 

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