Official: Man Utd top target signs contract until June 2029 | OneFootball

Manchester United missed out on the prospect of signing Ruben Neves on a free transfer in July, as he decided to extend his stay with Al-Hilal.

The Premier League giants are planning a midfield overhaul this year, as Casemiro has already announced his departure at the end of the season, while Manuel Ugarte has been largely unconvincing, and even Bruno Fernandes is facing an uncertain future.

Therefore, Man Utd are expected to sign at least a couple of new midfielders, especially since they’re expected to return to Europe next term and will need a larger squad.

Why Man Utd wanted Ruben Neves

At this stage, it is widely accepted that Elliot Anderson is the club’s main target to reinforce the midfield, with Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleba right behind.

However, United might struggle to sign more than one of the three aforementioned Premier League stars, given their large transfer fees, which could reach £100 million.

Therefore, MUFC officials have been seeking quality alternatives who are available at lower costs, and chief among them is Neves, who was heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford in January. Fabrizio Romano even confirmed that the club held exploratory talks with his agents.

The 28-year-old made a name for himself on the English shores during his time at Wolves, before making a big-money move to Al-Hilal.

Neves pens new contract with Al-Hilal

While it was said that Al-Hilal were struggling to convince Neves to ink a contract extension, Man Utd enquired about the possibility of signing him on a cut-price deal in January, or as a free agent in the summer.

However, the Red Devils’ hopes have been dealt a deadly blow, as Neves eventually agreed to stay with the Riyadh-based giants.

“The board of directors of Al-Hilal Club Company, headed by His Highness Prince Nawaf Bin Saad, has signed a contract extension with Portuguese player Rúben Neves for three additional sports seasons until 2029,” reads the note published on the Saudi club’s official website on Wednesday.

Ruben Neves (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)

This is Al-Hilal’s second major coup this week, after snatching the services of the legendary Karim Benzema from their local rivals Al-Ittihad.

With the former Wolves star now ruled out of the equation, it remains to be seen if new names will emerge on United’s shortlist in the coming days and weeks.

Perhaps the club will rekindle its interest in Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller, or intensify their contacts with Bournemouth’s Alex Scott and Tyler Adams, who are all considered relatively affordable options.

In any case, MUFC technical director Jason Wilcox still has several months to assess his options before the summer transfer market.