Midfield target has made his preference absolutely clear amid interest from Manchester United and Real Madrid.
Manchester United have been looking for their newest recruit in the midfield department, with Rúben Amorim seeing many changes to the side.
Captain Bruno Fernandes suffered an injury in United’s 2-1 loss away to Aston Villa, seeing him sidelined for a substantial amount of time. Similarly, Kobbie Mainoo has been unavailable with a minor injury, keeping him away from the match-day squad.
United had an impressive summer window, prioritising their firepower in the final third, bringing in Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Šeško to add more goals to the team.
This left the midfield somewhat neglected, as Amorim has relied heavily on the partnership of Fernandes and Casemiro to be the core of the team. This left fans calling out for a solution in the form of potential signings, Carlos Baleba, Adam Wharton or Elliot Anderson.
Neves reveals transfer priority
Ruben Neves has emerged as a potentially cheaper option in midfield. The 28-year-old has also caught the attention of fellow European giants, Real Madrid, and the midfielder has made up his mind over which move he would prefer.
According to reports from Fichajes, the Al Hilal midfielder has a clear favourite between his two potential next destinations. The Portuguese international prefers a move to the Bernabeu, with Real Madrid being the more definitive step up in his career.
A move to Spain would give him security in competing for European titles, whilst having the stability of being a character in the squad with experience and authority, providing balance to a very young squad.
The move is not going to be straightforward for Los Blancos, with the competition with the likes of Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga potentially limiting the opportunity for Neves to become a staple piece within the side, so United could still be in with a chance.
However, Neves has already had a taste of the Premier League through his time at Wolverhampton Wanderers, so a move to Spain would be a fresh new experience for the midfielder.
Neves willing to make sacrifices
It is hard to turn down Real Madrid, but Neves’ current contract in Saudi Arabia sees him earning a huge sum of money per week.
The Portuguese international has made a rare effort to facilitate a move as he has expressed his willingness to accept a 60% pay cut in order to make a move to Xabi Alonso’s side. This gesture has been met with respect from the club officials at Real Madrid, as it would at Old Trafford.
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The financial sacrifice makes his intentions clear, as United will continue to search for their solutions. In the meantime, the future of Manuel Ugarte remains up in the air, while Mainoo and Fernandes continue to be sidelined.
Amorim will keep looking towards the academy for reinforcements, as Jack Fletcher, son of Darren Fletcher, recently made his debut in the first team. Potential debutants could include Sékou Koné, Tyler Fletcher or Jim Thwaites, who have all impressed in Carrington.
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