Why holding onto Ruben Neves will be massive for Wolves this season

Wolverhampton Wanderers have made a fast start under Nuno Espirito Santo in the Premier League. The Wolves have looked confident and determined in the opening stages of the season, coming away with a point against defending champions Manchester City.

There’s an aura about this Wolves side, who seem motivated to stamp their authority in England’s top-tier. They are definitely one of the surprise packages this season after almost having taken down the Champions.

One of the Wolves’ major driving forces is midfielder Ruben Neves. The £60m-rated Portuguese international has been making a name for himself over the last year or so. The 21-year-old played a peripheral role for the club last season, successfully guiding the Wolves into the Premier League.

He has so far proven to be an integral member of Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad and that’s exactly why the manager wants to hold onto him.

According to Express and Star, the Portuguese coach has dismissed suggestions that the club will sell their prized asset. The likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and Manchester City have shown interest in the player.

But holding onto such an influential member of the squad is vital at this point. Wolves have just returned to the Premier League and cannot afford any slip-ups in what will be one of the biggest seasons in their history.

In this moment, Ruben Neves is indispensable to this squad. The youngster, playing as a deep-lying midfielder, possesses a wide set of qualities that have allowed him to flourish in the Premier League this season. He opened the campaign with a superb free-kick goal and an assist in the first game of the season.

Neves is also an able distributor and a crisp passer of the ball. He has so far averaged a pass success rate of 85.8% in the Premier League this season. The midfielder’s positional awareness is supreme and he has rarely put a foot wrong for the Wolves so far. (Stats Courtesy – Whoscored)

The Portuguese international is also excellent when it comes to supporting the defence, constantly tracking back and harrying the opposition attackers. As Neves has shown, he is also capable of popping up with the goals.

All of the midfielder’s goals last season came from outside the box, which means he poses a huge threat from long-range shots and set-pieces.

A player with all these top qualities and the ability to seamlessly transform it onto the pitch is a gem of a footballer. That’s exactly what Ruben Neves will become in due course. The 21-year-old has risen to prominence over the last two years and he will definitely play a crucial role in keeping the Wolves up this season.