Tottenham Hotspur have been named as one of a number of clubs hoping to add Wolverhampton Wanderers' Rúben Neves to their squad this summer, with Spurs manager José Mourinho an admirer of his countryman.
Neves has been one of Wolves' key players during a season which has seen them progress to the Europa League Round of 16 and push for the Champions League places in the Premier League.
Meanwhile, though Spurs have been tipped for a quiet summer in the transfer market as they attempt to manage the economic ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to add a defensive midfielder to their squad has emerged as a theme of their 2019/20 season.
12 - 12 of Ruben Neves' 15 goals for Wolves in all competitions have come from outside the box, the other three have been from the penalty spot. Stunner. pic.twitter.com/iH9TLAqCj3
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 20, 2020
According to a report from Le10sport, Spurs are one of the most prominent suitors of Neves on the market so far, with the 23-year-old favouring the London club as his next destination.
The report explains that Neves has caught the eye of Mourinho, who in Jorge Mendes shares an agent with the anchorman.
Tottenham have found it difficult to make their midfield work this season, with new signings Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele struggling with fitness complaints, and January recruit Gedson Fernandes unable to nail down a starting spot before the cancellation of Premier League football.
Neves is not the only midfielder that Spurs have their eye on, with Southampton's Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg also named as a possible target for Mourinho to bolster his options in the middle of the park.
Southampton's chief executive Martin Semmens, speaking to BBC Radio Solent, recently admitted that if a big enough club came in for Hojbjerg, they would have to let him go.
"If there's a club out there that can win the Champions League and they think Pierre can improve their team, if they can pay for him then in the end we have to let him go," admitted Semmens.
Source : 90min