Manchester United were linked with a Ruben Neves move over the summer as they looked to strengthen their midfield.
The Wolverhampton Wanderers captain has become one of the best midfielders in the Premier League since his €18m move from FC Porto.
And while the Red Devil’s failed attempts to lure Frenkie de Jong to the club were cited as the reason behind their lack of movement regarding Neves, reports suggest United tried to sign the Portuguese midfielder.
Spanish outlet Sport suggests that both Manchester United and Liverpool have contacted super agent Jorge Mendes about the possibility of a summer transfer.
However, both were turned down once Neves learned of interest from La Liga giants FC Barcelona.
His interest in becoming a Barça player was strong enough to convince him to spend another year at Wolves.
The Blaugrana could not sign for Neves this summer due to their financial situation.
His finances were so bad that Barcelona were only able to sign Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Jules Kounde, Franck Kessie, Andreas Christensen, Hector Bellerin and Marcos Alonso in the summer.
The LaLiga giants are expected to make their signing for Ruben Neves next summer, having appointed the Portuguese player as Sergio Busquets’ replacement.
As for United, Casemiro was signed to bolster the defensive midfield position, while Christian Eriksen has stepped into the playmaker role in style so far this season.
A player of Neves’ profile, who could cover both roles, would be a good addition going forward, with Eriksen, in particular, without a team back-up.
Man United will surely look to strengthen their midfield further, but they are unlikely to do so through Ruben Neves. 
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