Fabrizio Romano dropped an interesting Christmas morning update concerning Manchester United and Al-Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves.
The Red Devils have been plotting a midfield revamp for 2026, and Bruno Fernandes’ injury could accelerate their plans, as their captain could remain out of action for more than one month.
Man Utd technical director Jason Wilcox had long identified Elliot Anderson, Carlos Baleba, and Adam Wharton as his primary targets. However, none of them is available in January.
The Premier League giants have also considered the likes of Alex Scott and Joao Gomes. However, in recent days, Neves resurfaced on the scene, especially after reportedly turning down a contract offer from Al-Hilal.
Man United eyeing a move for Ruben Neves
The 28-year-old has been on United’s radar since his time at Wolves, when he had taken the Premier League by storm with his ‘fabulous’ displays.
The Portuguese midfielder eventually joined Al-Hilal in the summer of 2023 on a transfer worth £47 million, and went on to form a brilliant partnership with Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
| Neves’ stats by club | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Wolves | 253 | 30 | 13 |
| Al-Hilal | 107 | 14 | 25 |
| Porto | 93 | 4 | 3 |
However, Neves is said to be uninterested in extending his stay in Saudi Arabia beyond the summer of 2026, thus turning down the club’s attempts to renew his expiring contract.
In recent days, it has been reported that Man Utd are looking to pounce on the situation by signing Neves on a cut-price deal in January.
What MUFC discussed with Neves’ agent
In the latest update posted on his official YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano revealed that Man Utd have indeed held talks with Neves’ agent.
However, the Italian journalist notes that it was only general exploratory talks, not exclusively related to Neves and his future. He also added that MUFC have yet to open negotiations with Al-Hilal for the player.
Nevertheless, this remains a track to keep an eye on for the coming weeks, or even in the summer, when the Portugal international should be available on a free transfer.
Neves has already proven his capabilities as a top-notch deep-lying playmaker in the Premier League, so combining him with his compatriot Bruno could be an enticing prospect
Neves would be a good addition for us in January, as even if we got Wharton or Baleba in the summer he could still rotate with either.
Neves could be the one to get us into top 4/5 this season, then add more players in the summer. Maguire and De Ligt are missed badly and when we get them back we will be much stronger at the back. We have conceded in every game except against Sunderland and this must be sorted. If we tighten up in midfield and backline we should be fine as we are scoring goals, but conceding too easy.
Bring neves without blinking. It’s a big change snatching him cheaply. He is 28, he has gas, he knows the epl as well. Over reliant on bruno is a big mistake, utd need squad depth and quality so us to compete with the best if they want to be the best.