Barcelona are on the hunt for a long-term replacement to Sergio Busquets, that much has been known for some time with the the 34-year-old ageing and out of contract this summer.
The current Barcelona captain may well prolong his exit for another season, but the feeling in Can Barca is that it is an issue to be addressed immediately. One of the names repeatedly linked with doing so is Wolves‘ Ruben Neves.
The Portuguese midfielder is said to be keen on a move to the Catalan capital, but manager Xavi Hernandez has been clear that he does not want Neves. As per Javi Miguel, Xavi has told the club he is not the right target on three separate occasions, explaining that ‘he does not know how to defend’, providing a fairly conclusive assessment of Neves.
Recently there have also been rumours of a swap deal involving out of favour forward Ansu Fati and Neves, with cash heading to Barcelona too.
The 26-year-old is represented by super-agent Jorge Mendes, who has very close ties to Barcelona and President Joan Laporta too. It is likely that Mendes is augering for a move, even if Xavi doesn’t want it to happen. It is worth remembering that Mendes also represents other Barcelona stars like Lamine Yamal, Alejandro Balde and Fati, brokering many other deals such as Francisco Trincao and Nelson Semedo to Wolves. If Neves does arrive at Camp Nou, it will be a clear sign of where the power lies.
