Why Wolves should avoid Ruben Neves-James Rodriguez swap deal
According to Spanish outlet El Desmarque (h/t The Birmingham Mail), Real Madrid are interested in Wolves star Ruben Neves and are willing to use James Rodriguez as a bargaining chip to sign him.
James Rodriguez, 28, was one of the breakout stars of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. He won the Golden Boot in that mega event. But his Real career has floundered and the Colombian international spent two seasons on loan at Bayern Munich.
The 28-year-old didn’t have a great time at Bayern and returned to Santiago Bernabeu in the summer. Rodriguez has started just five matches in all competitions this season and is currently out of the picture under Zinedine Zidane, who is in his second spell in charge at Real.
The report claims that Real remain interested in Ruben Neves and view James Rodriguez as a potential makeweight to sign the Wolves midfielder (h/t The Birmingham Mail). That being said, should Wolves accept if Real Madrid come up with such an offer?
Neves, 22, joined Wolves from Portuguese giants FC Porto in 2017 and during his 101 appearances for the club, he has scored 13 goals while assisting six.
He was crucial in helping Wolves achieve top-flight promotion in the 2017/18 season. The Portuguese has regularly featured for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side this season as he has already played 19 times across all competitions for them.
The central midfielder is contracted to stay with the club until June 2023 after signing a contract extension in July 2018. Neves is a key cog in Nuno Espirito Santo’s Wolves machine, forming a solid partnership with Joao Moutinho and Leander Dendoncker.
Neves hasn’t been at his best this season but at 22, he is a player with the potential to improve and become a world-beater.
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Meanwhile, Rodriguez may appear to be a glamorous name but the reality is that he has fallen way short of his potential.
Verdict
Thus, Wolves must keep hold of Neves at any cost and should not use him in any sort of deal to land Rodriguez.
