Man United now closing in on "sensational" £50m signing, he's the next Paul Scholes – opinion

Manchester United appear to be are closing in on a deal to sign Ruben Neves, with the club ready to make a final push to get the move done.

The Daily Mail have reported that Erik ten Hag is a big fan of the Portuguese midfielder, with the Red Devils keen to make one last big push to sign the 25-year-old.

Neves has been on United’s radar for the previous 12 months, with Wolves wanting a fee of around £50m in order to let one of their main assets leave Molineux.

Incoming manager Ten Hag will need to organise a major rebuild of the United squad this summer, with the midfield being a key area to prioritise.

With the future of Paul Pogba still up in the air, Nemanja Matic leaving and other members of the side simply not good enough, Neves would be the ideal signing for the Red Devils.

Journalist Tim Spiers has dubbed the 25-year-old “sensational”, while former United player Paul Parker compared Neves to Paul Scholes, drawing similarities between the two in terms of how the Portugal international strikes the ball.

Only two players (both forwards) scored more league goals for Wolves this season, while only Raul Jimenez had a greater shots per game average than Neves’ 1.3 (as per WhoScored). Also, the 25-year-old made the third-most tackles and interceptions in Bruno Lage’s squad (as per FBRef), showing an industriousness to complement his impact going forward.

With Neves’ talents and ability to be an asset both going forward and defensively, the Scholes comparisons are spot-on. If United do sign the 25-year-old, they would get the player as he is heading into what will likely be his peak years, and £50m sounds like a bargain when the positives are examined more in-depth.

His versatility will be a major advantage for Ten Hag