Leeds United look set to strengthen their squad for the second half of their Premier League campaign to aid their bid to stay in the top flight.
Ruben Vargas has been one of the names linked with a move to Elland Road, as Daniel Farke seeks to add more firepower to his squad.
However, the forward line is not the only area Leeds could potentially strengthen in, with United being linked to a high-profile midfielder, which would drastically improve Farke’s options in the middle of the park.
Leeds are not the only club in pursuit of his services, with bitter rivals Manchester United also sniffing around for the player’s signature.
In step, Ruben Neves.
Leeds United and Manchester United amongst clubs monitoring Ruben Neves
Neves, 28, will be familiar to Leeds fans from the midfielder’s six-year stint at Wolves before he made the move to Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia for a fee of around £47million.
But with the Portuguese international’s deal with Al-Hilal set to expire in the summer, Neves’ future is seemingly up in the air.
According to reports from talkSPORT, Leeds, alongside Manchester United and Newcastle United, are all interested in bringing the midfielder back to the Premier League, with the Whites reportedly having already enquired about Neves.
If Neves does not renew his contract in Saudi Arabia, Al-Hilal will reportedly listen to bids of around £15million as opposed to losing him on a free transfer in the summer.
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Data suggests Ruben Neves would be a drastic upgrade on Ilia Gruev
If the 49ers were somehow able to land a player of Neves’ quality, it would be an outstanding piece of business.
With Sean Longstaff currently out injured, Farke is short of midfield options. The German evidently does not feel that Gruev has the quality to regularly feature in the Premier League, judging by his limited gametime this season.
Neves would fix this problem for Leeds, with the former Wolves ace having a wealth of Premier League experience already, as well as the data suggesting he is a far better player than Gruev.
| Stats (2025/26 season) | Ruben Neves | Ilia Gruev |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 4 | 0 |
| Assists | 0 | 0 |
| Big Chances Created | 3 | 0 |
| Tackles per game | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| Interceptions per game | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Clearances per game | 1.5 | 0.2 |
| Ground Duels Won per game | 2.0 (54.1%) | 1.7 (55.6%) |
Whilst being superior to Gruev defensively, Neves also offers far more from an attacking standpoint in terms of goals and creative output, making him the perfect option to round out the Whites’ midfield.
If possible, signing Neves is a no-brainer, and the fact that Leeds would be poaching one of Manchester United’s transfer targets would make it all the more satisfying.
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