How much would Ruben Neves cost Chelsea in January?
Nicholas Hughes
- 20 Dec 2021 12:47 GMT
- 5 min read
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel is enduring his first real difficult period as Blues boss, and he could move swiftly in the January transfer window to act upon it.
TodoFichajes are reporting that the European Champions could be set to chase Ruben Neves in the winter, with the Wolves midfielder top priority to combat Chelsea’s midfield issues.
Mateo Kovacic has been injured for almost two months, while Ngolo Kante has played only half of Chelsea’s league games and Saul Niguez has failed to impress after his summer loan move from Atletico Madrid.
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Chelsea have slipped away slightly in the Premier League title race, with a run of three wins in their last eight games leaving them in third place, three points adrift of Liverpool in second and a further three away from Manchester City at the top.
Neves has been integral to Wolves’ sustainability in the Premier League over the past three seasons, and was also instrumental in their promotion campaign in 2017/18.
He has never missed more than three matches in a Premier League season and has featured in all but one league fixture so far in 2021/22.
The way that Chelsea play prioritises fast, direct attacking play with an emphasis on using width with the full-backs, meaning the role of the midfield duo is largely to retain and circulate possession into wider and more attacking areas.
Neves could cost Chelsea over €40m in January
Neves would be perfect for this role with his range of passing, vision and confidence on the ball, and his weapons in shooting from long-range and delivering set pieces are always an asset to any team.
According to FootballTransfers’ transfer value system with SciSports, Neves is worth €39 million, but it would likely take more than that for anyone to prise him away from Molineux.
Particularly in January, players come at a premium with little time for selling clubs to find and sign replacements. Added to that the fact that Wolves would be selling to a fellow Premier League club, Chelsea could end up being forced to pay closer to the €45-50m range if they want to bring Neves in.
