Ruben Neves has already told Liverpool and Newcastle United his transfer verdict amid ‘talks’

Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Ruben Neves has already given his verdict on his hopes for the future amid transfer interest from Liverpool and Newcastle United. The Portugal international, who remains a key player for Wanderers under new manager Julen Lopetegui, has been linked heavily with a move away this January.

With Wolves currently deep in a relegation battle, even after soaring out of the bottom three with a 1-0 win over West Ham United at the weekend, many feel as if Neves is playing at a level below his quality. The 25-year-old is the second-highest scorer for his current club, despite the fact he plays predominantly as a holding midfielder.

Neves has built up a reputation for scoring goals from outside the area and he was very close to adding to his total against the Hammers on Saturday, as a curled effort struck the crossbar. Liverpool in particular could do with more goals from midfield, whereas Newcastle are still trying to gain squad depth under new ownership, so a move to either side would make sense.

Speaking to The Times back in August, Neves hinted strongly at his desire to leave Wolves at some stage. He said: “I try to focus 100 per cent on my football and I had a good start to the season but we need results now. If you ask me at the end of last season I would have said to you, ‘I will leave,’ but I’m still here, so we never know what’s going to happen.”

In an interview with The Athletic in May, meanwhile, Neves said: “Everyone knows about what football is about, what our lives are about. Our careers are really short, we need to take the opportunities we have. Of course, all of us have dreams and we need to live those dreams in a short space of time. Let’s see what happens. I cannot say too much about it.”

Now a number of months on and with Wolves in an even worse position than when Neves gave these answers, it would be a shock if the player had changed his mind on ‘taking the opportunities’, especially with Champions League-challenging sides after his signature. The Mirror reports that Neves could “tempt Liverpool back into the market” as Jurgen Klopp looks to improve his squad.

Elsewhere, The Daily Mail reports Newcastle want Neves as they are “continuing their search for a holding midfielder”, though no contact has been made just yet. This could soon change, however, as Bruno Guimarães recently picked up an ankle injury that could keep him out for multiple weeks or even months. Talks with Wolves could well proceed.

Neves, who joined Wolves from FC Porto in July 2017 for around €17.9 million (£15.8 million), has scored 28 goals and contributed 12 assists in 235 appearances for Wanderers across all competitions. Before making the move to England, the midfielder recorded four goals and three assists in 93 games for Porto. His current market value is around €40 million (£35.4 million).