Ruben Neves

[Riyad_Mahrez_10]

We have been missing a Xabi type player since he left. This guy looks like the complete package but I have only seen him on compilation clips but from what I've read he is the best player in the championship. So to those that do watch championship football what do you guy's make of him?

 

[HC]

Hes the most creative player ive ever seen in the championship, takes the piss at times.

Can see them cashing in on him for something silly this summer to fund their top flight campaign.

 

[Mystic]

That goal at 1:50 was textbook Xabi. I'm convinced, he's clearly much better than those he's playing with, sign him up.

 

[Riyad_Mahrez_10]

Hes the most creative player ive ever seen in the championship, takes the piss at times.

Can see them cashing in on him for something silly this summer to fund their top flight campaign.

I doubt he is on Klopps radar but I would like him to play for us next season

 

[Frogfish]

Another one I've been banging on about. He's only young (21 ?) but he would look great in our team. I think he's said he won't leave Wolves next season if they are promoted though. If he will then we should be interested, he's going to be awesome. Agent may be a big problem.

 

[Woland]

The music is inversely proportional to the skillz

 

[Riyad_Mahrez_10]

Another one I've been banging on about. He's only young (21 ?) but he would look great in our team. I think he's said he won't leave Wolves next season if they are promoted though. If he will then we should be interested, he's going to be awesome. Agent may be a big problem.

He does have a price that they would sell at and which also persuade Mendes, what that price is, is another question?

 

[Oliver Twist]

Not at all dodgy he ended up at Wolves.

 

[Riyad_Mahrez_10]

 

[Glen C]

Not at all dodgy he ended up at Wolves.

And for only 20k a week apparently. Im sure he's been promised a serious increase if they get promoted. But yeah the whole thing is dodgy as fuck but hey they're getting away with it.

Tbh Neves needed this Wolves move as he was going backwards after all those injuries. Before then i remember us being linked with him for 40m price tag. He's quality.

 

[tommyboy]

Weren't we sniffing around this guy when he was at Porto? I seem to remember quotes of anywhere from 25-40 during the end of Roger's reign?

 

[Lastboyscout]

All he does is pass

 

[Insignificance]

Weren't we sniffing around this guy when he was at Porto? I seem to remember quotes of anywhere from 25-40 during the end of Roger's reign?

Benteke quality in other words?

 

[rurikbird]

Weren't we sniffing around this guy when he was at Porto? I seem to remember quotes of anywhere from 25-40 during the end of Roger's reign?

Not sure about Rodgers, but since very early in Klopp's tenure we seemed to be following him. First interest I found was from 2015 and here's a quote from 2016:

Porto may have to sell two of their youngsters to fit in with financial fair play, as there’s a gap of a few million to make up to settle the accounts. Ruben Neves and Rui Pedro haven’t been impressing much, and according to O Jogo, the destination of both of them could be in England.
O Jogo mention Liverpool as a club who admire Neves, as Manchester United and Chelsea were also linked to the player in the past. But they don’t reveal any names who could be interested in Rui Pedro for now.

Liverpool’s interest in Ruben Neves isn’t something new, as reports from last season said Jurgen Klopp was keen and keeping an eye on the midfielder and some stories even said that Porto told the Reds to forget about signing the youngster. But after a poorer end to season from the 19-year-old, it looks like things have turned around now.

Neves has a €40m release clause, and Rui Pedro has just renewed his contract and is now protected by a €30m buyout clause. Neither of the players have been important pieces of the team, so Porto know they would never get those amounts for them. It may be a good time to snap up the undoubtedly talented Neves for a bargain fee.

Who knows why we didn't sign him then, when Porto seemed ready to cash in; maybe the dip in form he suffered around that time gave us pause (although at 18 or 19 that is somewhat to be expected). Or maybe we are generally weary of getting players in too early since if you sign an 18 year old on a 5-year deal it will expire just as he is about to hit prime years and all the leverage will be with the player and his agent – as we saw with Can or Suso. We signed Xabi at 23 and that seems an ideal age, although you could still argue his prime years were spent with Real. Neves is only 20 now and while his potential is immense, it's still probably too early for a top club to make him a centerpiece of their midfield. So for now everybody is monitoring and waiting to see which club is going to make the first decisive move and trigger a feeding frenzy. I'm sure there are dozens of sets of scout eyes from all kinds of ambitious European clubs who are following and analyzing every Wolves game as this kid's surely special.

 

[rurikbird]

That goal at 1:50 was textbook Xabi.

Yeah, my first thought on seeing it was also of Xabi. Not many players shoot with this kind of technique, just passing the ball into a corner.

 

[juniormember]

I want him big time.
With Salah, Mane, and Firmino making runs every time he has the ball in a deep position, he’d have a field day. Not to mention how incredibly calm he is on the ball. He really looks like the player we’ve missed since Xabi’s departure.

 

[DHSC]

Can he solve our DM issue?

Will a midfield of him, Keita and one of what we have be good enough, especially defensively?

 

[Hyena]

Wolves is definitely getting promoted so I'm not sure about our chances of landing him

 

[rurikbird]

Can he solve our DM issue?

Will a midfield of him, Keita and one of what we have be good enough, especially defensively?

I think Neves has more physicality about him than, say, Jorginho and the fact that he can hold his own in a 2-man midfield in the Championship is a good sign, as well as being a captain of Porto at 18. I don't think defensive or physical side of his game is a particular weakness; my concern is that just that his overall level of play at 20 is simply not the same as him at 23 or 26. He has awesome potential, but does having a 20-year-old midfield talent in "rotation" really help us all that much right now? I want a 25-year-old Ruben Neves playing at LFC, not so sure about the 20-year-old one.

 

[dmishra]

I think Neves has more physicality about him than, say, Jorginho and the fact that he can hold his own in a 2-man midfield in the Championship is a good sign, as well as being a captain of Porto at 18. I don't think defensive or physical side of his game is a particular weakness; my concern is that just that his overall level of play at 20 is simply not the same as him at 23 or 26. He has awesome potential, but does having a 20-year-old midfield talent in "rotation" really help us all that much right now? I want a 25-year-old Ruben Neves playing at LFC, not sure about the 20-year-old one.

I would have made the same point.

We're in a 'win now' mode under Klopp. Next season has to be our first proper assault on the title.

CM is a very important position, and we can't afford to have someone going through a development phase, with all the inconsistencies that are associated with it. Most footballers reach their peak at ages 23-28.

I don't doubt Neves' talent, but he'll take another 2-3 years to hit his prime, and that's not what we need right now.

I can thus see the appeal of pairing Jorginho (26), who's in his prime with Keita (23), who's also about to hit his prime. It's a pity we're going to lose Can (23), who should be hitting his peak years too, especially when we've taken the pain of going through his development years (20-23).

 

[juniormember]

He’s a better passer already than all of our midfielders aged 25,26,29,32 whatever.

 

[moron]

I think one of our problems in midield is that we need a physically tall well built player. You know when our midfield has those moments every 3 games when it gets cut through like a knife through butter ? Its usually because there is no intimidating big motherfucker in the middle. There were players under GH who were very tall but pretty shit who had no right to play well but they did because they were big and intimidating.

 

[Mystic]

I don't care about his age, he's reminded me of Xabi and I need Xabi back in my life, let's sign him right now.

 

[JohnnyRocket]

I'd go all in on him AND this Jorginho fella to be honest. Our midfield is that average. It needs an overhaul.

 

[Riyad_Mahrez_10]

I think one of our problems in midield is that we need a physically tall well built player. You know when our midfield has those moments every 3 games when it gets cut through like a knife through butter ? Its usually because there is no intimidating big motherfucker in the middle. There were players under GH who were very tall but pretty shit who had no right to play well but they did because they were big and intimidating.

Salif Dioa (sp) was tall but shit and intimidated no one.

 

[Riyad_Mahrez_10]

I don't care about his age, he's reminded me of Xabi and I need Xabi back in my life, let's sign him right now.

I know how you feel

 

[Roopy]

I thought it was Ivan Cavaleiro who never gives the ball away for Wolves.

 

[Riyad_Mahrez_10]

If people are saying we should wait 3 years to sign him then the chances are he will be out of our grasp. The guy is young and developing fast, and he is already use to the intensity of the English game.

 

[rurikbird]

If people are saying we should wait 3 years to sign him then the chances are he will be out of our grasp. The guy is young and developing fast, and he is already use to the intensity of the English game.

3 years will probably be too late indeed - I think Mendes will look for a big payoff fairly soon. Although Wolves are highly ambitious and will probably prefer to keep him for their first season back in the EPL. Ideally I’d like to do a deal like we did for Keita, have him stay another season at Wolves and come here in 2019.

 

[Riyad_Mahrez_10]

3 years will probably be too late indeed - I think Mendes will look for a big payoff fairly soon. Although Wolves are highly ambitious and will probably prefer to keep him for their first season back in the EPL. Ideally I’d like to do a deal like we did for Keita, have him stay another season at Wolves and come here in 2019.

While we're at it we should go after Ivan Cavaleiro (squad option), he can play anywhere across the front 3, and tackle too. The guy is a monster!



[xtable]
{thead}
{tr}
{th=colspan:2}Competition{/th}
{th} {/th}
{th} {/th}
{th} {/th}
{th} {/th}
{th} {/th}
{/tr}
{/thead}
{tfoot}
{tr}
{td=colspan:2}Total 17/18:{/td}
{td}40{/td}
{td}8{/td}
{td}12{/td}
{td}304{/td}
{td}2.431{/td}
{/tr}
{/tfoot}
{tbody}
{tr}
{td}

{/td}
{td}Championship{/td}
{td}36{/td}
{td}8{/td}
{td}11{/td}
{td}279{/td}
{td}2.228{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}

{/td}
{td}EFL Cup{/td}
{td}3{/td}
{td}-{/td}
{td}1{/td}
{td}-{/td}
{td}178{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}

{/td}
{td}FA Cup{/td}
{td}1{/td}
{td}-{/td}
{td}-{/td}
{td}-{/td}
{td}25{/td}
{/tr}
{/tbody}
[/xtable]