Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Brune Lage has hinted that his side need to ‘convince’ Ruben Neves to stay amid continued transfer interest from both Arsenal and Chelsea.
The Portuguese midfielder had been strongly linked with a move to both the Emirates Stadium and Stamford Bridge in the past.
Some reports in the summer even suggested that the Gunners had offered the former FC Porto man a five-year contract as Mikel Arteta attempted to add to his midfield options in north London.
Meanwhile, Chelsea could well turn to Neves as an option in the summer transfer window, with on-loan Saul Niguez having failed to impress thus far during his season-loan loan at Stamford Bridge.
Wolves manager Lage has admitted that the Black Country side need to convince the midfielder to stay at Molineux but did suggest that Neves is content to remain at the club.
He said: “Ruben feels this is his second home – and happiness comes with that.
“That’s good, but it’s another thing to convince him to stay. It’s not about a contract or money. It’s about creating a big team that fights for different things.
“Ruben is in that place where he needs a different challenge. And we also want a different challenge for the club.”
Neves, 24, has continued to be a key player for Wolves, having caught the eye since his surprise 2017 move from Porto.
He has made 18 appearances for the club throughout the campaign so far, scoring a solitary goal.
The Portugal international still has two-and-a-half years left to run on his contract with Wolves but he recently admitted that he is targeting a return to the Champions League.
“Yes (I miss it), a lot,” Neves said. “I think any player that plays Champions League football and then spends a few years without competing in it will miss it.
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“It's a nice tournament to be part of, of course I miss it. It's a tournament every player wants to play in.
“Being able to play in the Champions League and being able to compete against all the clubs is probably the main goal of every player, and for me it's no different.”
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