Fabrizio Romano: MUFC could sign de Jong alternative in £70.5m gem, he's Fernandes 2.0 - opinion

Fabrizio Romano has dropped a big Manchester United transfer update that will give Ten Hag plenty to think about in the coming weeks.

The update comes surrounding the club’s hunt for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, although there could well be an alternative according to Romano, who told GIVEMESPORT:

“I’m sure they have some alternatives. Ruben Neves is a player, that last summer, was already on the list. He’s always been on the list of Manchester United, and is really appreciated.”

This news won’t be a shock to the supporters, as Man United’s interest in the Wolves player has been apparent for some time, but much will depend on whether a deal can be agreed for de Jong or not.

Neves could cost the club £70.5m, and although that is a staggering amount, it could be money well spent if a move was to happen.

At 25, he has plenty of Premier League experience under his belt, along with 30 caps for Portugal. This would mean he could settle in faster at the club and hit the ground running, something that Ten Hag will be looking for.

The midfielder could even be the new Bruno Fernandes, with Neves certainly capable of having a similar impact that the former Sporting Lisbon man did when arriving at Old Trafford, especially when you consider the latter’s phenomenal rate at scoring goals from distance.

Fernandes, of course, plays slightly further forward than Neves, but there is no doubt that with the 25-year-old talent, he could feature in a more advanced role.

In fact, the Wolves star has a far superior pass completion percentage than Fernandes (82.8% to 75.3%), while defensively, Neves has made more tackles and interceptions (122) compared to the 26-year-old (97) and won more aerial duels (53.1% to 41.1%).

£70.5m for a