Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves has admitted that he did have an opportunity to leave Molineux during the summer transfer window.

The Portuguese international has been linked with Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Barcelona in recent months and, while he did not reveal the club he could have signed for, Neves says a move was on the table:

“There are no secrets with that. I had a chance to go, I didn’t go, and I stayed, and I will give 200 percent for this club because they have given me a lot.”

Neves’s price tag has been cited as one of the main reasons why the 25-year-old has stayed at Wolves. Manager Bruno Lage has been quoted as saying that the club wanted £100m, although many believe they would have settled for £70m.

With United having paid an equivalent amount for Real Madrid’s Casemiro, it may simply be the case that the Red Devils made the Brazilian their number one priority ahead of Neves.

Ironically, Barcelona were thought to be the Portuguese star’s preferred destination but the move was likely dependent on Frenkie de Jong leaving the Camp Nou.