It’s been reported for a few weeks now that Liverpool are interested in Porto wonderkid Ruben Neves, with the Daily Mirror in particular claiming we’re ‘long-standing admirers’, having scouted the teenager consistently.
That paper claims Jurgen Klopp has given his blessing to a potential approach, although that seems like a speculative claim to us. There’d be no reason our new boss wouldn’t sanction a deal of course, with Neves the most highly rated teenage anchorman in world football.
But while Sky Sports have scouted the youngster and spoken up a future deal, they’ve falsely claimed that his contract (which DOES have a €40m release clause) expires in 2017.
Porto president Jorge Nuno Pinto ds Costa confirms that Neves is contracted until 2019, and naturally reiterates that the club have no intention of parting with their prized asset. Portuguese football expert Jan Haagen tweeted his quotes this afternoon:
Porto President da Costa: “I never want to sell Rúben Neves. Since I want him to stay for a long time he can be Porto’s greatest captain.”
— Jan Hagen (@PortuBall) October 22, 2015
Pinto da Costa: “Neves’ contract ends in 2019, not in 2017, as I’ve seen in several newspapers. We want him here for a long time.”
— Jan Hagen (@PortuBall) October 22, 2015
Neves recently skippered Porto in the Champions League, becoming the youngest player to do so in Europe’s elite club competition.
The fact we’re scouting Neves is promising in that we’re at least targeting Europe’s most promising talent, but as da Costa intimates, poaching him from Porto is going to be very, very difficult.