Barcelona the ‘likeliest destination’ for Arsenal midfield target: English sources

There is no doubting the fact that Barcelona are in the market for a new holding midfielder. While Sergio Busquets has been an excellent servant over the years, Xavi is planning ahead for the future and that includes the addition of a long-term replacement for the number six.

According to the reliable London-based journalist David Ornstein, Ruben Neves has emerged as a potential option for FC Barcelona.

Ornstein believes Wolves are bracing themselves for the departure of their Portuguese midfield duo of Joao Moutinho and Neves. While Moutinho’s contract is expiring, the interest around Neves has been immense, with even Manchester United reportedly on his tail.

Ornstein, though, claims Barcelona could be the likely destination for the Portuguese international, who is prepared to take the next step in his career after a successful spell at the Molineux.

He has been strongly linked to Arsenal in the past, but looks like his future lies in La Liga with Barcelona eyeing him for a few months now.

Since joining the club in 2017, Neves has racked up over 200 competitive appearances for Wolves, establishing himself as one of the league’s best defensive midfielders in the process.

The 25-year-old can easily find himself a place at Barça, as the long-term deputy for the ageing Busquets.

However, it remains to be seen whether Barcelona can tackle the financial demands of Wolves in the pursuit of Ruben Neves. The midfielder’s current contract at Molineux doesn’t expire until 2024, giving Wolves the leverage to hold out for a hefty valuation.

It won’t be surprising to see Wolves value the midfielder in excess of €50 million, given his age profile and vast experience at the highest level of football.

It could make the operation quite tricky for a Barcelona side that incurred massive financial losses last season and had their spending limit reduced to a negative figure by La Liga.

To that end, we could see Joan Laporta and co. set their sights on the more cost-effective alternatives, with Boubacar Kamara among the players identified as targets this summer.