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Manchester United’s approach to the January transfer window has taken a sharp turn according to the latest report from Spain, as the club continues to be linked with Al-Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves.
Midfield Rebuild
The Red Devils produced their best performance in years as they utterly dismantled Manchester City at Old Trafford over the weekend.
Despite Michael Carrick having only three days to prepare his new players to face their bitter rivals, the caretaker manager made a host of big calls – both in terms of personnel and tactics – which paid off handsomely.
In the end, the 2-0 scoreline flattered Pep Guardiola’s side, with United easily deserving to score another four or five goals while Senne Lammens was rarely troubled at the opposite end.
Carrick’s use of a 4-2-3-1 system, with Bruno Fernandes pushed forward into the No 10 role and Kobbie Mainoo joining Casemiro in midfield, made the team far more comfortable than they have been over the past 14 months in Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-2-1.
However, this switch from a three-man defence to a three-man midfield exposes the squad’s lack of depth in the middle of the park even more, with Manuel Ugarte the only senior option on the bench.
United will prioritise a rebuild of the midfield this summer, with two new options expected to join, given Casemiro’s contract expires at the end of the season, though a secret clause has thrown this plan into doubt.
But the club now appears ready to accelerate this plan as Fichajes reports a formal offer has been tabled for Neves after the Portugal international emerged as a leading target last month.
Accelerating Plans
The Spanish outlet reveals United have “submitted an offer close to 23 million euros to convince Al Hilal” to part with their 28-year-old midfield maestro.
Neves’ contract expires in June, meaning this is the Saudi Pro League side’s last chance to bank a transfer fee before he is able to leave on a free.
Al-Hilal are currently eight points clear at the top of the league after 15 games and are yet to lose a match. They are well positioned to be champions even while losing a key player like Neves.
As such, Fichajes states they are “seriously considering accepting [the] offer” given its obvious financial upside.
Ruben Neves’ stats by club
Search:
Club
Appearances
Goals
Assists
Yellow cards
Wolves 253 30 13 62
Al-Hilal 110 15 26 24
FC Porto 93 4 3 13
From United’s perspective, the Portuguese is a player in his prime with Premier League experience in a position of need. €23m (£19m) is a reasonable figure for a winter transfer that will not eat into the summer budget either.
