Wolves' Ruben Neves sold to Al-Hilal for £47 million
Posted : 24 June 2023
Ruben Neves, the captain of Wolves, has been sold to Saudi Arabian team Al-Hilal for a club-record fee of £47 million. The 26-year-old Portuguese midfielder had one year remaining on his contract and departs after spending six seasons at Molineux.
Neves joins the growing list of high-profile players who have moved from European clubs to Saudi Arabia's Pro League.
Recently, Karim Benzema left Real Madrid for Al-Ittihad, following his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, who signed with Al-Nassr in January. Additionally, N'Golo Kante, a midfielder for Chelsea, agreed to join Benzema at Al-Ittihad earlier this week.
Meanwhile, Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy is on the verge of signing for Saudi Pro League side Al Ahli, and Al-Hilal is reportedly targeting Manchester City's Portuguese midfielder, Bernardo Silva.
Neves had expressed his ambition at the end of last season, with interest from Barcelona. However, since Barcelona couldn't present an acceptable offer, Neves chose to pursue his career in Saudi Arabia.
The transfer fee paid by Al-Hilal surpasses the previous record of £41 million that Wolves received when Diogo Jota moved to Liverpool in 2020.
It also represents the highest transfer fee ever paid by a Saudi Pro League team, surpassing the reported £15.4 million deal that brought Matheus Pereira from West Brom to Al-Hilal in 2021.
In an open letter to the club's supporters, Neves described his time at Molineux as an "unbelievable journey."
He expressed gratitude for the camaraderie, team spirit, and achievements during his tenure, including helping Wolves secure promotion from the Championship in 2017-18 and establish themselves in the Premier League.
Neves mentioned the pride he felt in serving as captain in his final year and the happiness his family experienced while living in Wolverhampton.
During his time with Wolves, Neves made 253 appearances and scored 30 goals after joining from Porto in 2017.
Matt Hobbs, Wolves' sporting director, hailed Neves as one of the club's all-time best players, praising his leadership qualities, humility, and exceptional talent.
Hobbs expressed gratitude for Neves' contributions to the club and extended well wishes to him and his family for the future.
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