Reports have suggested that Newcastle United are lining up a move for Al Hilal midfielder, Ruben Neves, during the January transfer window.
The news follows on from the ongoing scandal in Italian football with regards to illegal betting, which appears set to see Italy international midfielder, Sandro Tonali, land a ten-month ban.
It is believed that any fee for Neves’ move to St James’ Park will be in the region of £55 million with the negotiations set to cause some controversy with the two clubs, Newcastle United and Al Hilal, under the same ownership group.
Newcastle were taken over by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) in October 2021, whilst Al Hilal were one of four clubs that the Saudi PIF took control of over the summer, alongside Al Ahli, Al Ittihad and Al Nassr.
Ruben Neves began his youth career with Porto in 2004 and spent a spell on loan with Padroense in the 2012/13 campaign. He then began his professional stint with the Dragons in 2014 and captained the club in the UEFA Champions League, making 93 appearances and scoring four goals before leaving in 2017.
He joined Championship side, Wolverhampton Wanderers, for a fee believed to be in the region of £15.8 million. Whilst with the club, he, managed by Nuno Espirito Santo, made 253 appearances and scored 30 goals, helping them win the second-tier in 2018.
In the summer transfer window, he completed a £47 million move to Al Hilal and has gone on to make 19 appearances across all competitions for ‘Al-Za’eem’. He is currently playing alongside the likes of Kalidou Koulibaly, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Malcom, Neymar and Aleksandar Mitrovic.
Newcastle United have also reportedly shown an interest in Fulham midfielder, Joao Palhinha, who came within minutes of joining Bundesliga champions, Bayern Munich, on the final day of the summer transfer window, as The Magpies seek reinforcements in midfield.
