05 Aug 2021 07:33:32
Would people be happy if we get either Saul or Neves?

Saul's has very strong attributes and looks more technically sound compared to Neves. He's good in the air and a very good tackler. with a good passing range. However, he doesn't have the PL experience and might need time to get used to the league.

Neves on the other hand has PL experience and is defensively much solid than Saul. He has a better passing range and gets a high number of tackles and interceptions. He's also gets the odd goal here and there with his long range shooting. Not to forget that with Bruno he could form a great partnership in that midfield area.

If we sign Saul, the one thing he wouldn't have is time on the ball and he should learn to release the ball quicker and not hold on to the ball for long. He would need to adapt to the conditions in the PL and if he does that he would be a fantastic signing for us.

1.) 05 Aug 2021
05 Aug 2021 07:46:16
Saul all day for me.

2.) 05 Aug 2021
05 Aug 2021 08:41:42
I'd sign both. They're a major upgrade on Fred and McTominay.

3.) 05 Aug 2021
05 Aug 2021 09:08:53
Jodler, a midfield of Saul, Neves, VDB and Bruno would make our midfield so strong.

We however do need to move Pogba on if that has to happen.

4.) 05 Aug 2021
05 Aug 2021 09:11:04
Either of them will be a huge upgrade on Fred.
Neves/ VDB/ Bruno
Saul/ VDB/ Bruno

On paper, this midfield can easily control the game with their huge technical quality.

5.) 05 Aug 2021
05 Aug 2021 09:37:46
Either would be a big upgrade, and I can see the argument for signing both.

I think they would actually compliment eachother very well.

Saul is more dynamic, covers more ground, better at carrying the ball. Which is why I think he is slightly wasted as a holding midfielder as many of his best attributes become restricted by that role.

Neves reminds me more of a young Carrick. Makes the ball do the work, reads the game well is in the right place at the right time, can control the tempo of the game.

Neves for me is more what we need, he's the missing player our midfield doesn't have. While Saul plays in much the same way as Fred and McTominay but is obviously much better at it than they are.

I wouldn't be upset if we signed either of them, but I would be more confident that we would see a bigger improvement in our play in terms of style and ability to control/ dictate a match if we signed Neves.

6.) 05 Aug 2021
05 Aug 2021 10:07:43
Been an admirer of saul for a while but neves wouldn't upset. Think Neves goes about his play often unnoticed but pulls the strings in midfield. as said if the funds permit, let pp go and get both .

7.) 05 Aug 2021
05 Aug 2021 10:10:41
Shappy, I agree.

Saul is a box to box player much like VDB in terms of technical quality but with a better passing range and both can play in different positions if required. He could possibly be targeted because Pogba is sure to leave.

As you say Neves for me ticks all the boxes on what we need and would be a better fit in the deep role than Saul.

Either would be an upgrade and probably a change in formation can be expected from Ole ditching the 2 DM system we have got accustomed to.

8.) 05 Aug 2021
05 Aug 2021 10:20:09
Judging by this thread, do people think VDB will be a starter in the midfield pivot next season?

Would be one hell of a turn around for him considering he probably played 4 games in that position next season.

9.) 05 Aug 2021
05 Aug 2021 10:23:05
An ambitious club signs both as both are not available at a huge price.
Get them both in,
Sell Pogba, Lingard, Fred and even Henderson to raise the money we need.
I think both De Gea and Henderson will perform similarly whomsoever plays.
Midfield is where we are really terrible with other teams dominating it as we don't have anyone who wants to get on the ball and take midfield control.
Neves and Niguez for under 100m is a bargain and I would sell any amount of fringe players or free how wages to get them.
We can do 1 more season with AWB and Dalot as backup bur our midfield situation is dire.

10.) 05 Aug 2021
05 Aug 2021 10:26:55
In a straight choice I'd go for Saul. Much more of a battler and all-rounder in my view. Neves would be the more 'under the radar' astute signing although he didn't have a particularly great season. To be fair Wolves crumbled across the board when Jiminez got injured.

11.) 05 Aug 2021
05 Aug 2021 10:41:00
Neves form has dipped considerably over last 18 months.
He can't get into the Portuguese side either must of the time.
Not sure why that is.
I'm not so sure pogba will leave. We have had no offers for him.
The thoughts of him signing a new contract is not ideal.
Although with rashford injured he can play out on the left wing and that means we can let mcfred do their predictable boring uninspiring stuff again for another year with matic in reserve to add that bit of dynamism and flair if required.

12.) 05 Aug 2021
05 Aug 2021 10:41:40
If you read the Wolves page they think that Neves hasn't been that great for the past two seasons, they think they have seen the best of him and would be happy if he moved on.

13.) 05 Aug 2021
05 Aug 2021 11:20:44
Spenno, has Saul had a great season? For the most part Saul has been pushed out of the starting line up at Atletico by Marcos Llorente and Koke. Partey was ahead of him before he went to Arsenal.

While some might say Neves maybe hasn't been as good for Wolves last season (when in fairness the loss of Jota and the injury to Jimenez derailed Wolves season), the reality is that Saul hasn't been first choice for Atletico for over two years.

I'm also not sure if we need an all rounder, surely a special-ist is better suited. Fred and McTominay are all rounders, Saul is clearly better than both of them. Yet the reality is that we don't have that holding player who dictates the game. Saul doesn't give us that.

14.) 05 Aug 2021
05 Aug 2021 11:37:33
Ken, I think Neves has stagnated a little at a club that has regressed over the past year or so. The Portuguese national side is pretty well stacked. Moutinho, Bernardo, Bruno, Danilo Pereira, Carvalho, Sanches, Pedro Goncalves, Palhinha, Andre Gomes. As well as Neves.
That's a tough group of players to get into one of 2 or 3 starting spots. If you aren't in top form then you will struggle to stay in that side.

I agree I don't think Pogba will leave this summer. Firstly no one bar PSG are interested in even placing a low ball offer for him. Real Madrid have other priorities, Barcelona have no money, Juventus have 7 first team midfielders and need to get players off the books before they could even think about signing someone, Bayern Munich would never be interested in a player like Pogba, the English sides wouldn't bother with him and no other sides have enough cash either to pay a large fee or to match his current wages.

All that leaves is PSG, if they are his only option then it makes more sense that he waits a year. That way maybe one or two more options will be available next summer, and if not then he'll get a large signing on fee and be much better off.

At this stage I wouldn't be surprised if he signed a new 500k per week deal and just stayed.

The issue I have with that is in our current set up the only place for him is on the left wing. Personally I think Rashford when injury free and in from is a better option there. I'd also say Sancho is probably a better option there with Greenwood playing on the right until Rashford is back.

Which means giving Pogba a huge long term contract when he doesn't even have a clear role in the first 11 would just be another amateurish move by the club.

We should have sold him last summer and given the minutes he played last season to Donny to help him acclimatise. I mean Pogba got 3 goals and 3 assists in 28 appearances last season. Hardly stunning form and I would have thought Donny would have managed similar given the same amount of game time.

15.) 05 Aug 2021
05 Aug 2021 11:48:18
I would suggest Saul's displacement in the Athletico team was also more due to those dreaded 'other issues', which also led to him being dropped from the entire Spanish squad. So if there is anything wrong with Saul it would that that side of things, rather than his ability. He walks in the Utd team, and probably most midfields (cue list of every club in England's midfield :D )

16.) 05 Aug 2021
05 Aug 2021 13:40:59
Saul lost his plane in the team the team did better without him simple as that spenno he didn't get in Spain squad because he wasn't playing for his club. 22 appearances in all comps last season is about the same as vdb.
No other issues. The team did better without him.

17.) 05 Aug 2021
05 Aug 2021 14:35:31
So the general 'feel' is that Neves would be the better option, reading between the lines. That maybe Saul is the better player even if both have lost their way a bit in the past season, but he's probably a lot more expensive, and Neves is more proven in the Prem with a more specific and effective role in his team. One we seem to be crying out for.

18.) 05 Aug 2021
05 Aug 2021 16:32:18
I'd say that's about right Spenno. If you want a Galactico signing then Saul is your man, probably a better all round player, certainly a more expensive one in terms of fee and more importantly wages. Yet Neves might suit our needs better, is younger, would be cheaper in terms of fee and wages, as well as actually being EPL proven.