5 players Liverpool should target in the summer

Ruben Neves

You would be forgiven for raising an eyebrow at the sight of a second Championship player being named on this list but Ruben Neves is no ordinary player. The 21-year-old shocked the world when he joined Wolves from Porto for a club-record fee at the start of the season but was rewarded for his decision with the club’s promotion to the Premier League. And Wolves’ promotion was in no small part thanks to the Portuguese midfielder’s contribution.

Formerly the youngest ever Champions League captain, his experience in the competition and with the Portugal national team was evident throughout the campaign in which he was clearly proved himself a class above most others. His contribution, which included six goals, saw him named in the Team of the Season and runner-up to Sessegnon for the Player of the Season award.

Neves is a physical embodiment of Portuguese creativity and has shown he can excel in both deep-lying and forward-thinking midfield positions. While he is not blessed with an abundance of pace, his vision and speed and accuracy of passing make him a forward’s dream. Liverpool’s front three of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah would no doubt benefit even further from having him direct play behind them.

The acquisition of Neves also makes sense in the long-term for Liverpool. With Emre Can likely to leave and James Milner entering his mid-30s Neves could become a key player in the center of the park for Liverpool, both now and for the future. He would also add to a growing contingent of leaders at the club and would be an influential figure in the squad alongside Jordan Henderson and van Dijk (and potentially Lascelles).