Man Utd ‘target’ perfect £20m midfield signing – so how will Wilcox and Ratcliffe screw it up?

Manchester United are reportedly keen on signing former Wolves captain Ruben Neves, who is available for £20million in a transfer that has the potential to be the signing of the year.

Neves is available this month for a bargain fee with his Al Hilal contract set to expire in June.

United are interested in adding the Portuguese midfielder during the January transfer window and there appears to be little competition for his signature. Quite simply, they cannot mess this up.

According to The Guardian , the Red Devils are targeting a new midfielder this month, with Neves firmly on their radar.

United are expected to be active in the transfer market despite not having a permanent manager in place, with the report stating that Michael Carrick is set to be appointed interim boss this week .

The club’s hierarchy are assessing whether a move for Neves is ‘viable’ and, if so, funds are available to complete the deal.

The report states:

With midfield one of the positions United want to strengthen, Al- Hilal’s Rúben Neves is a target. The Portuguese would cost about £20m and should his acquisition become viable there are funds available for his purchase or for any other player on the club’s transfer wishlist.

Neves is exactly what United need. In fact, he’s exactly what many elite teams need. He remains a top-level midfielder and has not declined since moving to Saudi Arabia from Wolves in the summer of 2023.

The 28-year-old was never reliant on pace, and he certainly hasn’t stopped moving in the Middle East.

He still starts regularly for Portugal in a midfield that includes Vitinha, Joao Neves, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and Joao Palhinha.

Neves is a player Europe’s elite cannot ignore, and at £20m, he is a no-brainer for almost every top club. Which begs the question: why aren’t more teams in for him?

United should act decisively before more come to the party. Central midfield has been a problem position for years.

Ball-dominant teams often need a ball-playing defensive midfielder, not pure destroyers like Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte.

Arsenal have Martin Zubimendi. Liverpool have Ryan Gravenberch. Manchester City have Rodri. Newcastle have Sandro Tonali. All four are superb on the ball and possess the defensive intelligence required to anchor midfield for elite sides.

Casemiro has improved recently, but he is no longer the defensive force he once was, and he is certainly not someone who dictates tempo or consistently plays line-breaking passes.

Neves would bring control, experience and genuine quality to United’s midfield. At £20m, he is a bloody steal, and could be the bargain of the year if the Red Devils do what they so often fail to do: the right thing.

Jason Wilcox. Sir Jim Ratcliffe. It’s your move. Show us you’re not completely inept.