In a recent report, SPORT stated that Barcelona are positioning themselves to sign Wolves defensive midfielder Ruben Neves. It has been claimed that the Spanish giants are only waiting to balance the books to make progress for the summer signings ahead of the transfer window.
Neves’ Campaign with the Wolves in Numbers
The 25-year-old is experiencing a decent run at the Molineux Stadium. The defensive midfielder has scored four goals and created two assists over 28 appearances for Wolves this season in the Premier League
The Portuguese international has given a good account of himself by averaging 2.3 tackles, 1.3 interceptions and 1.4 clearances per 90 minutes in the Premier League. He is even accurate in distributing the ball from the back after completing 84.2 % of his attempted passes in the English top-flight (stats via whoscored).
Decent Fit For Xavi Hernandez’s Barcelona?
At 25, Neves’ best days are still ahead of him and the defensive midfielder has a lot to offer on the pitch. He remains a solid tackler of the ball and can even create some promising opportunities for others around him in the opposition half.
The 1.8 m tall midfielder is weak in aerial battles but remains a force to be reckoned with in the central areas of the pitch. Neves has the knack of taking long shots and distributing the ball to wide areas using long passes while being efficient on the offence.
Xavi’s tactics aren’t restricted to just keeping possession of the ball and attacking progressively, as we’ve seen Barcelona do in the good old days. His squad is now flexible on capitalizing on counterattacks and creating opportunities through penetrating passes. Ruben Neves’ technical abilities could add more depth to the defence and the offence alike.
The Spanish giants are looking for a long term replacement for Sergio Busquets, and Ruben Neves would fit the bill perfectly.
Neves could play a key role for Barca in the upcoming campaign if he can steer clear of injuries. Thus, Xavi should consider signing the defensive midfielder because he could help the Catalan giants compete for a major trophy or two in the next season.
