Ruben Neves has spoken of his admiration for Thiago Alcantara after Liverpool were linked with a move for the Portugal star before transfer deadline day.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has admitted the Reds might need to enter the market for a new midfielder after some poor luck with injuries. Thiago is one of those on the sidelines, having limped off against Fulham on the opening weekend of the season, though his absence didn't stop Klopp's team putting nine goals past Bournemouth in a record-equalling win on Saturday afternoon.
Former Porto midfielder Neves is among those to have been linked, along with Austria international Konrad Laimer and England youngster Jude Bellingham. And, while the 25-year-old appears more likely than not to stay at Molineux, he has made no secret of his love for Liverpool's number six.
“When I played [Eden] Hazard it was unbelievable, just impossible to take the ball from him," Neves told The Times when quizzed about the opponents he admires the most. "I always speak about Thiago Alcântara who is one of the best I’ve played against.
"And then you have [N’Golo] Kanté," he added. "He is unbelievable. Defensively and offensively.”
Thiago and Kante have both been fixtures in the Champions League for English clubs, with Liverpool reaching the final in 2022 and Chelsea winning the competition one year earlier. Neves has spoken of his hope to return to a competition he played in for Porto, making his European debut when he was just 17 years old.
“One of the things I miss most is the Champions League, it’s the best competition in the world to play in. So let’s try to achieve that,” he said
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Neves was speaking after taking the Wolves armband from Conor Coady. Long-serving defender Coady has made a loan move to Everton for the season, having made more than 300 appearances in old gold
“It’s impossible to replace him," Neves said. "We are not the same, no one is the same.
“We have different ways to lead. Conor was more communication, I try to lead by example.”
Last season, with Coady as captain, Bruno Lage's side found themselves in contention for European qualification for most of the season. However, they fell away late on with no wins from their final seven games, leading to an eighth-place finish.
Neves started 31 times in the league last season, making 36 appearances in all competitions. That took him beyond 200 appearances for Wolves since joining when they were still playing Championship football back in 2017.
