When Ruben Neves left Porto to join Wolverhampton Wanderers, the Portuguese press wasn’t very sure it was a smart decision for him.
It felt risky for the midfielder to depart for a Championship team because he had developed at the Dragons’ academy and had even led them a few times at a relatively young age.
Gestifute and Jorge Mendes came under fire; it was even implied that the agency was lending Porto a financial favour because they were short on cash and hadn’t given the player’s career enough thought.
Nevertheless, everything worked out perfectly, and Neves expressed his happiness at signing with Wolves in an interview with the newspaper O Jogo.
The midfield player, who is featured on the front page of the newspaper today, brushed off the notion that he left Porto too soon when questioned about it.
“I believe that I departed at the appropriate time—not too soon. A football player’s career is brief, and in order to take care of your family and yourself, you may need to set aside your emotions at times. Compared to the transfer to Al Hilal, this one was more difficult. It was my first time travelling overseas, and Wolves were in the English second tier. Everything was strange. That year, a daughter was born,” Neves said to O Jogo.
Though significant, the transition was well-executed. Looking back, I’m positive that was the greatest choice I could have made.
Neves played 253 games for Wolves, scoring 30 goals and providing 13 assists before leaving in the summer. He cost €55 million to purchase from Al-Hilal, who are now bound to him till 2026.
The midfielder claimed in the same interview that he was on the verge of leaving the Molineux to join teams like Arsenal and Barcelona, but he did not rule out a return to European competition.
When questioned about Porto’s developing midfield star Alan Varela, Mr. Neves responded, “He is an excellent player,” if you’re looking for transfer advise. In terms of playing time and quality, it was arguably FCPorto’s most consistent reinforcement, therefore it was a great signing. In addition to being incredibly combative and well-positioned in defensive positions, he has recently been moving a little bit more forward, which has improved his passing and finishing skills. He has two goals already. He has been a vital member of the team and is quite complete.
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