€20m midfielder ‘will move to Real Madrid’, NOT Man Utd – former manager | OneFootball

Manchester United are actively trying to bring Ruben Neves to Old Trafford in the January transfer window, but a pundit has backed the Al-Hilal midfielder to end up at Real Madrid as a free agent next summer and star at Estadio Bernabeu instead.

On December 17, our transfer insider, Graeme Bailey, reported that Man Utd have held ‘talks’ over signing Neves in the middle of the season. The former Wolves midfielder is out of contract at Al-Hilal next summer, and the Saudi Pro League club are ready to sell him in January, with the two parties struggling to reach an agreement on a new deal.

Sources have told TEAMtalk that Neves’ camp has spoken to a number of clubs over a January transfer, including Man Utd, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United.

We understand that Man Utd are determined to sign at least one new midfielder in 2026, and with Bruno Fernandes now injured, the Red Devils are very likely to accelerate their quest.

However, Sami Al-Jaber believes that Neves will move to Real Madrid on a free transfer next summer.

Al-Jaber is an Al-Hilal legend who played for the Saudi Pro League club as well as managed them.

The former Saudi Arabia international forward also had a loan spell at Wolves in 2000.

AS quotes Al-Jaber as saying to MBC: “I fear Neves will move from Al Hilal to Real Madrid for free after his contract with the club expires at the end of this season.

“There are Premier League clubs that want to sign Neves, and the contracts they are offering him are for three years, meaning until he turns 31.

“Real Madrid are also interested, and I’m sure there are other clubs that want Neves.”

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Real Madrid do NOT want Ruben Neves

According to AS, Al-Hilal will ‘accept an offer’ of between €15-20million (up to £17.5m, $24m) for Neves, with Man Utd ‘one of the clubs most interested’ in the 28-year-old Portugal international midfielder.

That would be a bargain deal for a midfielder who was a huge success in the Premier League and would be able to make an immediate impact at Man Utd.

While it remains to be seen if Man Utd would be willing to pay the sum that Al-Hilal want, Real Madrid are not interested in Neves.

According to Defensa Central, the option to sign Neves in the January transfer window ‘has been ruled out’ by Real Madrid.

The Real Madrid-centric news outlet has added: ‘The upper management at Real Madrid believes this is not the right time for such transfers.

‘Furthermore, the sporting directors continue to have faith in Camavinga and Arda Guler even though neither has performed as expected.’

Even as a free agent next summer, Neves is unlikely to appeal to Madrid, as he will be 29 then.

Moreover, Neves earns £410,000 per week as salary at Al-Hilal, and Madrid will not be willing to pay that kind of sum.

No reputable media outlet in Spain is claiming that Madrid manager Xabi Alonso is keen on Neves either.

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