The Daily Mail has reported that Newcastle are interested in bringing Wolves captain, Ruben Neves, to St James’ Park, whilst, in separate reports, Wolves are said to be looking to bring Toon captain, Jamaal Lascelles, in the opposite direction.
If both reports are correct, would it make sense that a possible swap deal may be brought into play?
Neves is the latest centre midfielder to be linked with a move to Tyneside, with continued reports that Eddie Howe may be looking to bolster his options in that position after the injury to Jonjo Shelvey. Neves shares a lot of the same attributes as Shelvey with his wide range of passing, but the Portuguese international has also shown himself to be a top-class defensive midfielder at Molineaux and has even been deployed in a centre-back role at times this season.
The Wolves skipper was one of the first big-name Portuguese stars to make the move to Wolves in 2017, swapping Champions League football with Porto for a Championship battle at Molineaux in what was a shock move. Since then, the 25-year-old has made 202 appearances scoring 25 goals, and has also represented his country on 37 occasions – including at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Wolves’ interest in Toon skipper, Lascelles, has been reported by Football Insider, and it makes sense given that the former Nottingham Forest man has made just 4 league appearances this season. The arrivals of Dan Burn and Sven Botman have pushed the 29-year-old down the pecking order, and it is hard to see him muscling his way back in.
According to Transfermarkt.com, Lascelles is currently valued at €7 Million, so with Neves valued at €40 Million, there is currently a €33 Million difference for Newcastle to make up if they wish to bring the Wolves man to Tyneside.
One thing that might be in favour for the Magpies, is the fact that Neves has just 18 months left on his current contract and seems to have no interest in signing a new one. He has also been linked with moves to Liverpool and Manchester United, but could Lascelles be the difference maker in what would be a big signing for Newcastle?