Why Manchester United must beat Manchester City to sign Ruben Neves

According to a report by The Sun, Manchester United have joined rivals Manchester City in pursuing Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Ruben Neves.

The Portuguese sensation ripped the Championship apart as Wolves secured promotion to the top-flight last season. And from what we have seen so far, he has carried that form into the Premier League as well. Rated at £60million, Neves could be a good option for Jose Mourinho’s men in the January window.

As far as the Red Devils are concerned, they have endured a lacklustre start to the ongoing campaign. Their defence has been shambolic but their attack and midfield must also share the blame.

Paul Pogba seemed like a completely different player for France in the World Cup but at United, he continues to make silly errors and struggles when deployed even a tad out of position. Now, one can argue that Jose Mourinho should share the blame and that is true.

But one cannot exempt the team from shouldering a good majority of the blame. Most of the players don’t seem to understand the value of the United jersey on the field and there is a palpable lack of desire to win.

As a result, United have struggled and their midfield could use reinforcements. Mourinho signed Fred from Shakhtar Donetsk in the summer window but the Brazilian has gotten off to a rocky start. In fact, he hasn’t looked all that promising.

Meanwhile, Ander Herrera continues to put up below-par performances. Nemanja Matic is arguably the only one who can hold his own in the midfield. However, the Red Devils cannot be one injury away from losing control in the centre of the park.

As far as Marouane Fellaini is concerned, he seems to excel more as an impact sub. Hence, signing Neves could go a long way in strengthening the club’s forces.

Neves is defensively solid and is proficient at attacking as well. His ability to break up opposition attacks and recycle the ball to feed the attackers could go a long way in shoring up United’s performances in the heart of the park. Thus, United must do everything they can to beat City and sign Neves in the January window.