‘Renewed hope’ Man United can beat Newcastle to signing of £18m ex-PL star in January

Manchester United are said to be considering a mid-season swoop to add experience to Ruben Amorim’s ranks.Indeed, INEOS chiefs have reportedly set their sights on Ruben Neves in the build-up to the January window amid his uncertain situation with Al-Hilal, according to CaughtOffside.Why Ruben Neves is on United’s radar(Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)The seasoned midfielder is now in the final seven months of his deal, prompting Al-Hilal to set his price tag at £18 million in the winter in hopes of receiving at least some funds from his departure.This has sparked the interest of both the Red Devils and Newcastle United, with the former deemed to have ‘renewed hope’ they can get a deal done for such a long-standing target.Meanwhile, Neves himself is keen on a return to the Premier League, where he spent five seasons with Wolverhampton Wanderers and racked up 177 top-flight appearances. Appearances Goals Assists 177 21 9 *Neves’ total record in the Premier League, as per TransfermarktHe then pulled the curtains on his Molineux tenure when the Saudi outfit came calling in 2023, and left the club, which he captained, in a £47m transfer.Neves’ arrival could pave way for one departure(Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)Despite plying his trade outside of Europe for the last two years, the 28-year-old is still a mainstay in the Portugal setup.Neves has earned a total of 63 caps for his nation, plenty of which came whilst playing alongside United skipper Bruno Fernandes.In the event United did indeed sign Neves in two months’ time, you’d imagine the board would allow Kobbie Mainoo to leave on loan for the remainder of the season to increase his game time before the World Cup kicks off next summer.Read more: Amorim finally gets his wish as Man Utd pursue 29-y/o who outscored Sesko at every turn