Erik ten Hag will prioritise the signing of Wolves star Ruben Neves in the summer if he becomes Manchester United’s manager.
Ten Hag who is currently at Ajax, has been widely touted to takeover the top job at Old Trafford at the end of the campaign and is said to have already held discussions about the position with the club’s board.
According to The Sun, if Ten Hag is appointed United manager his first target will be Neves from Wolves who he believes can sort out the pitfalls in the club’s midfield.
The report goes on to say that Ten Hag has watched Neves since the Portuguese midfielder was playing for FC Porto in his teens and has admired him for a long time.
Neves has become a star in the Premier League ever since his promotion from the Championship with Wolves back in 2018.
It was reported that the Red devils tried to sign the midfielder in January but were unwilling to meet the £40m asking price as talks broke down over a deal.
Speaking last week, Wolves manager Bruno Lage explained why top teams are trying to sign Neves and conceded it will be hard to stop them taking his compatriot.
‘What is important to say is that it’s very hard to find a player like him,’ said Lage. ‘We used to call it a defensive midfielder but it’s now a central midfielder, a guy who can defend and can attack. He (Neves) can do both things.
‘He can score goals and do assists. It’s very hard to find. From my side, he knows my opinion – I want the best for his career. If he prefers to remain with us, for sure we will be happy and stronger. But this is football and you never know.’
Neves currently has two years left on his current contract and, in the past, has spoken of his desire to play Champions League football.
In 28 Premier League games this campaign, he has scored four goals and will look to help secure Wolves a strong finish to the season in the European spots.
