Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly close to sealing the shock £20m capture of Porto midfielder Ruben Neves.
The 20-year-old has been pursued by Liverpool and Premier League champions Chelsea in recent weeks, with Porto thought to have placed a £40m price tag on his head.
According to respected Portuguese broadcaster TVI24, however, Neves has instead opted for a surprise move to Championship outfit Wolves, where he will be reunited with Nuno Espirito Santo, who quit the Primeira Liga side to manage the Midlands club earlier this month.
Neves caught the eye with his performances for Porto last season, despite making just 18 appearances in all competitions, and went on to be an ever-present in Portugal's unsuccessful Under-21 Euros campaign this month.
Porto are thought to have accepted Wolves' offer of around £20m due to "financial issues" in a supposed deal that is likely to have had the involvement of agent Jorge Mendes, who is heavily involved with player recruitment for the three-time English champions.
Should the deal go through, Neves will join a growing Portuguese contingent at Molineux, which already includes £13m winger Helder Costa, centre-back Roderick Miranda and midfielder Ivan Cavaleiro.
Neves has been with Porto since the age of eight and has two years remaining on his current contract.
Neil Wilkes
