Barcelona president still keeping the option of signing Portuguese midfielder alive

Ruben Neves has been one of many defensive midfielders to be linked with a move for Barcelona this summer, as the club look to replace the outgoing Sergio Busquets.

Although Barcelona president Joan Laporta has been quite insistent on signing the Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder, he has faced a lot of pushback from the coaching staff, with Xavi Hernandez not rating him highly due to his lack of defensive prowess.

However, it appears Barcelona are still keeping the option of Neves alive despite the pushback from the coaching staff, reports Matteo Moretto.

The journalist, though, clarifies that Barcelona are not close to reaching an agreement with Wolves. Earlier in the year, the possibility of a swap deal involving Ansu Fati was mooted, with Wolves reportedly ready to offer €30 million.

Moretto suggests Fati is not too keen on joining Wolves next season. He has hinted at his desire to remain at Camp Nou, meaning the player plus cash deal option can be ruled out for now.

That means Barcelona must either pay Wolves a premium or add a star player in the deal, if they are to have any hopes of signing the Portuguese international in the coming summer.

In the meantime, though, the Catalans are focusing on other options in midfield. Coach Xavi is notably keen on signing a ‘top class’ option and has made a four-player shortlist involving the likes of Rodri, Joshua Kimmich, Martin Zubimendi, and Marco Verratti.

However, it is unlikely Barcelona are in a position to fund a move for either of these four players. Therefore, they may have no option but to either look for a low-cost option or use Laporta’s excellent relationship with Jorge Mendes to engineer a deal for Ruben Neves this summer.