Barcelona staff discussed the signing of Portuguese midfielder in meeting with superagent

Barcelona are ramping up their efforts to assemble the best squad possible in the upcoming summer transfer window. Having fallen well short of their expectations this season, the Catalans need to bounce back strongly next year and will need investment in the roster.

Two deals are already believed to be completed, with Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie likely to arrive from Chelsea and AC Milan, respectively.

However, the recent chatter about the future of Frenkie de Jong beyond this season has given way to speculations that Barcelona might be in for a new central midfielder in the summer.

Valencia’s Carlos Soler has been discussed as a strong possibility, but another name on the club’s agenda is Wolves and Portugal star Ruben Neves.

Indeed, the former FC Porto man has many admirers at Barça and has been linked heavily with a move to Camp Nou in the past. Recent reports even indicated that the 25-year-old dreams of joining the Blaugrana.

Now, a fresh report from COPE is claiming that Barcelona president Joan Laporta, vice-president Rafa Yuste and director Mateu Alemany had a meeting with superagent Jorge Mendes, who represents Neves, last week.

The Barcelona officials met the agent over dinner at Via Veneto. And during the meeting, the names of several players were discussed, including Neves.

Mendes is keen on securing a big move for his client this summer and put his name on the table during the meeting with the Barça president and other officials.

The 25-year-old has proven himself to be a top player in the Premier League and is seemingly ready for his next big step. He could prove to be the ideal long-term replacement for Sergio Busquets at Camp Nou in case Barcelona decide to act on their interest.

However, Neves is unlikely to come cheap as Wolves reportedly want €120 million for their prized asset in the summer, which would pretty much rule Barcelona out of contention.