Ruben Neves is the face of a changing game in more ways than one. Neves, a player in his prime, is leaving Wolves to play in the Saudi Pro League with Al Hilal.
“I want to play Champions League football,” Ruben Neves remarked a month ago when explaining why he was considering leaving Wolves.
Maybe he merely skipped a word, because after winning the Saudi league, Al Hilal can provide him the opportunity. He’s on his way to the Asian Champions League.
A quick change of destination on the way out of Molineux – to Riyadh rather than Barcelona – has led to Neves being accused of being more concerned with his cash than his heart, with his bank balance rather than his dreams.
Neves is 26 years old, while many of the others decamping to Saudi Arabia are in their thirties, looking for a final payday.
He may be a trailblazer if others in their prime follow suit, or he could be remembered as a player who gave up his seat at the top table too soon, like Oscar, who left Chelsea for China at 25.
The most obvious accusation is that Neves is a mercenary. The reality may be more complicated: for the second time, he is an example of a modern game trend.
He is joining Al Hilal for £47 million, which may appear excessive given that he just had a year left on his deal at Wolves, or market value given his passing ability.
In any case, it put him out of reach for Barcelona, even before the availability of Ilkay Gundogan on a free transfer meant they could get a top-tier replacement for less money. The dream move was devoid of actuality.
As Neves’s Portugal colleague Bernardo Silva can attest, Barcelona’s financial woes have changed the equation for many a player who would otherwise have been destined for Catalonia.
The collapse of the European transfer market is part of a larger problem affecting Premier League clubs and their overall struggle to sell.
There are only a few on the continent capable of paying a £47m sum for a midfielder; if they are ruled out for various reasons, the alternatives to the large purchasers in England are reduced.
The fact that they have overlooked Neves reflects not only the huge quantity of outstanding midfielders on the market this summer, but also the feeling that he is a man out of time. A sluggish passer may not suit sides that place a larger emphasis on pressing. Neves may not be a midfielder in the mold of Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola, or Mikel Arteta.
However, the shifting dynamics of the game may have made him an increasingly out of place presence at Molineux. Despite the fact that he exchanged the Champions League, where he was the club’s youngest-ever captain at the age of 18, for the Championship, his first three years at Wolves were a complete success, with promotion and straight seventh-place finishes.
The last three seasons, however, have been disappointing, with mid-table finishes, a dearth of goals, and a flirting with relegation this season.
Neves has remained outstanding. Wolves have not been present. He has been their most refined player since their heyday more than six decades ago, with the extra benefit of staying for six years and 253 games. The axis of Neves and Joao Moutinho brought a level of elegance to midfield that Wolves may not see again for decades.
However, if Neves is leaving a classic club for a new player in the football firmament, one could argue that he has swapped one moneyed project where Jorge Mendes has exerted influence and where Portuguese players have joined up for another. The super-agent has a knack for detecting possibilities, and Wolves, now owned by Fosun, supplied one.
Wolves, on the other hand, do not have as much room for acquisitions this summer. They have a problem with Financial Fair Play, as even Julen Lopetegui appears to have admitted belatedly.
Heavy spending in the last two windows was frequently misguided – particularly by Goncalo Guedes and Matheus Cunha – and a lack of buyers on the continent means Wolves will not be able to recoup much of their money.
Neves was one of the few remaining assets, a footballer who had openly stated that his time was up unless he could find a better way out.
Lower mid-table at Wolves followed by a stint in Saudi Arabia was not the career path many expected when he was captaining Porto in the Champions League as a teenager.
Given the likely size of his remuneration, sympathy may be in limited supply.
He may be content at Al Hilal. However, Neves, a talented player at his best, appeared to be limited in his alternatives.
And, while this is unfortunate, it is also part of a larger picture. Once again, Neves exemplifies how the game is evolving.
