At this point, it is well-established that Barcelona are intensely planning to sign a new defensive midfielder at the earliest possible. Various names have been linked with a move as a result, but Ruben Neves of Wolves has been touted as the most viable option for the club.
Now, Joaquim Piera of SPORT is reporting that Barcelona already have reached an agreement with Wolves over a transfer fee for Neves, while also agreeing on the player’s salary with his agent, Jorge Mendes.
The report indicates that Barça had everything wrapped up with regard to Neves’ transfer in the summer but could not incorporate his signing at the moment due to the finances being the way they are.
Despite the activation of several levers, the Portuguese international’s transfer could not be completed. And it suggests that the Catalans could look to bring him in January on loan with a permanent purchase obligation at the end of the season.
However, Barcelona would likely require to make a big sale in order to bring in any new players. And once again the name of Frenkie de Jong has emerged as a possible candidate to be sold even though the Dutchman has been extremely impressive in the last few matches.
Neves, for his part, has been on Barcelona’s radar for a long time now. The midfielder has himself admitted that he would find it hard to say no if the Catalan giants come calling.
However, recent reports indicated that the sporting staff at the club was not entirely convinced that the former FC Porto man is the right profile to take over from captain Sergio Busquets.
Despite that, it seems like things are already in place to sign the Portuguese international from Wolves. What now remains to be seen is whether Neves arrives at Barcelona ahead of schedule in January itself or the club decide to wait until the summer to complete the signing.
