Premier League midfielder one step closer to joining Barcelona in the summer – report | OneFootball

Ruben Neves has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona in the summer as a replacement for Sergio Busquets, even though reports suggest that Xavi Hernandez and his coaching staff do not see him as a good fit.

Barça president Joan Laporta and the board are said to be pushing for the Wolves midfielder’s signing as he would be a financially feasible acquisition.

Now, Joaquim Piera of SPORT is reporting that Neves may be one step closer to joining Barcelona in the summer as Wolves have signed a replacement for him in the form of Joao Gomes.

The midfielder, who was also on the radars of clubs like Barcelona, Real Madrid and Sevilla, is joining the Premier League outfit from Flamengo in a deal worth €18.7 million.

The report suggests that Jorge Mendes, who is the agent of Neves, played a key role in the transfer of Gomes to Wolves. And the 21-year-old, who won the Copa Libertadores and Copa do Brasil with Flamengo, is being seen as a replacement for Neves by Julen Lopetegui.

This move puts Neves one more step towards joining Barcelona in the summer, the report states.

The 25-year-old Portuguese international will enter the final year of his contract at the end of the season. And a move to Barcelona could become a reality in the summer as the club see him as a more affordable option than Martin Zubimendi of Real Sociedad.

The Spaniard has a release clause worth €60 million and Sociedad do not intend to offer any discounts. Hence, Neves is preferred by Laporta and the board, given that the club president also shares a good relationship with the midfielder’s agent, Mendes.

It has been reported on multiple occasions in the recent past that Neves to Barcelona is close to completion. But, Xavi and his staff are said to continue having doubts about the midfielder’s ability to perform as a pivot.

So, it remains to be seen whether the move actually sees the light of the day.