Barcelona powerless to stop long-term target Ruben Neves signing for Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal

Portugal international Ruben Neves, a reported target for LaLiga champions Barcelona, is expected to join club Al Hilal after the Saudi Pro League club agreed a fee with Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers, according to The Athletic.

How much will Al Hilal spend on Neves?

The report claims that Saudi Arabia’s most decorated team are have made a bid of €55 million for the midfielder, with Wolves keen to cash in due to the fact that he is about to go into the final year of his contract at Molineux. Were he not to sign a new deal, he would be able to leave the club for free in summer 2024.

Why can Barcelona not rival Al Hilal for Neves?

Barça have been linked with a move for Neves for over a year and, say The Athletic, held “extensive talks” with his agent Jorge Mendes, but don’t have the funds to complete the deal at present, which was also the case last summer. The Catalans have been forced to slash their wage bill to make room for new signings and were only recently given the green light to register players by LaLiga, who are still monitoring their finances closely.

Saudi Pro League making a statement

The arrival of the Portuguese, who captained Wolves and was voted their player of the season, is something of a statement for the Saudi Pro League, whose highest-profile signings, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, are very much coming towards the end of their careers.

Neves, however, is just 26 years old, is a regular starter in one of Europe’s top international teams and has impressed during his time in the Premier League, rated by some as the strongest around. And the fact that the Saudi Pro League has been able to snatch a player away from Barcelona, still regarded as one of the world’s ‘elite’ clubs despite their recent issues, has to be considered a huge coup.