Ruben Neves: Wolves captain set to join Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal in £47m deal - BBC Sport
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Ruben Neves: Wolves captain set to join Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal in £47m deal

By Simon StoneBBC Sport

Last updated on .From the section Wolvescomments1586

Watch: Neves' spectacular long-range strike against Liverpool

Wolves have agreed a 55m euro (£47m) deal to sell captain Ruben Neves to Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal.

The 26-year-old Portuguese midfielder Neves had a year left on his contract.

He said at the end of last season he was ambitious amid interest from Barcelona.

However, Barca have not been able to come up with an acceptable offer and Neves has taken the option of becoming the latest big-name player to join the Saudi league.

Karim Benzema completed a free transfer to Al Ittihad this month and Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante is linked with joining him, while Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Al Nassr in December.

Wolves regard it as excellent business at a time where they are trying to generate funds for manager Julen Lopetegui to strengthen his squad.

Neves has been central to their success since joining from Porto in 2017.

He helped them win the Championship a year later and then to two consecutive seventh-placed finishes in the Premier League.

The club also reached the Europa League quarter-finals in 2020 - where they were knocked out by Lopetegui's Sevilla - but have struggled to replicate that success and finished 13th last season having been bottom at Christmas.

Neves has made 253 appearances for Wolves in all competitions, scoring 30 goals.

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1586 comments

  • Comment posted by andy97, at 15:19 18 Jun 2023

    Al Hilal’s owners also own …..Newcastle. Neves wanted to play in Champions League….cheap loan from AH to NUFC to help NUFC get round FFP, with AH paying most of the wages and no loan fee??? Cynical? Me? Suspicious? Me? Damn right!

    • Reply posted by jamiewalton76, at 15:21 18 Jun 2023

      jamiewalton76 replied:
      It wouldn't surprise me

  • Comment posted by KopoftheLeague, at 15:13 18 Jun 2023

    I’m struggling to reconcile Neves’ claim that he is ambitious with a move to the Saudi league.
    Sure, a number of players are doing it now but mainly those at the tail end of their careers cashing in on past glories. Neves’ is moving in his prime. Great for his bank balance sure but highly doubtful he’ll achieve anything of note in the Saudi league.

    • Reply posted by eric, at 15:21 18 Jun 2023

      eric replied:
      What about Harry maguire

  • Comment posted by Mick, at 15:11 18 Jun 2023

    Goes to show that football is no longer about sport and is purely about money.

    • Reply posted by FootOfDavros, at 15:29 18 Jun 2023

      FootOfDavros replied:
      Well English football is already dead at the top level due to middle east money anyway, so why not just cash in back at the source? Can't really blame him...

  • Comment posted by Virtual van Dijk, at 15:14 18 Jun 2023

    Good luck to him, clearly he wants to challenge himself to compete at the very top in a country notorious for its proud footballing heritage.

    • Reply posted by mark Dokuchaev , at 15:44 18 Jun 2023

      mark Dokuchaev replied:
      Hahahahaha that’s a great point, this is what I don’t get. At least players like ronaldo are nearly 40 and are miles past their prime, neves is 26 and should be playing in a very good team that’s in the champions league or at least the Europa league

  • Comment posted by PM, at 15:13 18 Jun 2023

    Has-beens moving to Saudi for one last pay check might be immoral but possibly understandable. Someone with their best years ahead of them like Neves? Ridiculous

    • Reply posted by taking the mike, at 15:19 18 Jun 2023

      taking the mike replied:
      Whats immoral about it? You dont question morals when filling your car up with saudi oil.

  • Comment posted by MarcBHA, at 15:19 18 Jun 2023

    Saudi money talks, no way should a 26 year old, wanted by Barcelona, be moving to a country with zero history and prospects of major trophies. He's been enticed by wads of cash over potential ambition, the game is long gone and going further down the drain.

    • Reply posted by Gakpothegreat, at 15:33 18 Jun 2023

      Gakpothegreat replied:
      Quite similar to playing for Man City.

  • Comment posted by Lord Hill, at 15:20 18 Jun 2023

    What a tragic new phenomena,, players deciding to give up their careers to take Saudi money. I've read people say "players only have a few years to make money", true of course, but they will make MILLIONS anyway. Imagine giving up the few years of your footballing career to play in a joke league, just from greed.

  • Comment posted by Axemad, at 15:19 18 Jun 2023

    Money ain’t everything. What a waste of a career.

    • Reply posted by claret, at 15:38 18 Jun 2023

      claret replied:
      Money talks but it don't sing and dance and it don't play football. Rich man but a loser all the same.

  • Comment posted by CC, at 15:17 18 Jun 2023

    Ultimately a large chunk of pro footballers are money mercenaries.

    • Reply posted by whosdatdandare, at 15:20 18 Jun 2023

      whosdatdandare replied:
      Most of us are.
      Go do your job overseas for 10x the salary with your family cared for and sorted too.
      Of course you would.

  • Comment posted by Markyp1965, at 15:13 18 Jun 2023

    He’s 26 and probably still not at his peak. Difficult to see how a move to Saudi Arabia is going to anything for his career other than build up his bank balance.

    • Reply posted by olly, at 15:17 18 Jun 2023

      olly replied:
      Go on! Tell the man what you think is good for him since u an expert on his life.

  • Comment posted by Nnnutter, at 15:18 18 Jun 2023

    Captaining Porto at 18 and then moving to Wolves in the EFL and then to Saudi Arabia. Extremely lacklustre career for someone with so much talent.

  • Comment posted by John, at 15:18 18 Jun 2023

    With all due respect, good luck to you Mr Neves. Notwithstanding my good wishes towards you, nobody in the world, outside of the Saudi sportwashing office, gives a monkey's about the Saudi football league and the Ronaldo love-in has been club.

    • Reply posted by jay, at 16:14 18 Jun 2023

      jay replied:
      Thats what they said about the LIV golf look what happened there. Money can crate anything theses days it bought the world cup hosing rights who knows what the Saudis are upto.
      As for sports washing boycott everything American they give Saudi the arms to attack Yemen and America is quite happy to torture people as long as its not on US soil. Google Extraordinary rendition and Guantanamo Bay.

  • Comment posted by RIPPER, at 15:16 18 Jun 2023

    Well understandable from Wolves as they can't afford to lose him for free, can't say the same for Neves although he did say it was his dream as a young boy to play in Saudi Arabia...

    • Reply posted by Viva Espana, at 16:30 18 Jun 2023

      Viva Espana replied:
      Get a huge pay increase to set yourself and your family up. And be a part of the development of soccer in a country. Easily understandable decision.

  • Comment posted by Beans, at 15:10 18 Jun 2023

    Silly boy chasing the money 💰

    • Reply posted by HP92, at 15:17 18 Jun 2023

      HP92 replied:
      Won't be the last

  • Comment posted by jason, at 15:24 18 Jun 2023

    Strange people are unhappy about him going to Saudi, but are happy enough with the Saudi money flooding and slowly killing the English game. Man City are proof football died 15 years ago. It’s not the same as the late 90s and early/mid 00s. Now it’s about who’s got the biggest chequebook.

    • Reply posted by Tim, at 15:28 18 Jun 2023

      Tim replied:
      Exactly, the cognitive dissonance is immense right now.

  • Comment posted by daveyj, at 15:12 18 Jun 2023

    So first player in his prime leaves for High wages money talks .

    • Reply posted by HP92, at 15:18 18 Jun 2023

      HP92 replied:
      Forgot ramires, Oscar, even Hulk to China?

  • Comment posted by D1699726676596, at 15:21 18 Jun 2023

    No football ambitions whatsoever at his peak years. Poor.

    • Reply posted by D1704385072642, at 15:36 18 Jun 2023

      D1704385072642 replied:
      If you think once established as a professional footballer it is ever about anything but money, try telling Harry Kane he can go to City and win medals but your not getting paid!

  • Comment posted by henrysquire, at 15:12 18 Jun 2023

    Shows which professionals love the game and which love the money.

    • Reply posted by malcolm roberts, at 15:23 18 Jun 2023

      malcolm roberts replied:
      They all love the money ......

  • Comment posted by Darth Flowers, at 15:18 18 Jun 2023

    Another reason to completely rely on renewables as soon as possible.

    • Reply posted by know your rights, at 15:37 18 Jun 2023

      know your rights replied:
      They'll just make a fortune selling sand.

  • Comment posted by Cole, at 15:19 18 Jun 2023

    Disappointing.. unlike many high-profile Saudi moves, Neves is at his physical peak and not the twilight of his career. Hope this won't become the viable norm - although at least for me it's hard to judge anyone too harshly. While it's obviously awful for the sport with that much money involved.. security, nice sometimes, isn't it?

    • Reply posted by minimoo, at 15:23 18 Jun 2023

      minimoo replied:
      I've just said the same

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