Liverpool assistant confirms club’s interest in Wolves star Ruben Neves

Bengaluru, April 11: Liverpool’s assistant first-team coach Pep Lijnders has reportedly confirmed that Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves is on the club’s radar.

The Portuguese international joined then Championship-side Wolves from Porto for a fee in the region of £16 million last Summer but since then has been a revelation.

The 22-year-old not only helped them win promotion from the Championship last season but also has been instrumental in their Premier League success that put them eighth in the top flight table this season.

And Lijnders having known the player well after working with Neves during his seven-year spell at Porto as a coach has now confirmed that his recent impressive performances in the Premier League have made the Reds take notice of him.

Klopp seemingly confirming Hendo will no longer play the 6 the same week that Lijnders confirms interest in Ruben Neves https://t.co/q8fykSCFpD

— LFC Torres (@WC_LFC_Torres) April 9, 2019

The Liverpool first-team coach was instrumental in Neves’ development as a player at Porto, which helped the midfielder break into the club’s first-team and later he became their youngest ever captain in the Champions League in 2015. And the Reds coach has now confirmed that his former player's style had caught the eye of those watching at Anfield.

When asked about Neves, Lijnders told O Jogo: "I know him very well, his ambition, his passion for the game, his professionalism. I know what he gives to the team and this type of player always interests us.

"I recognised him when I saw him at Wolves. I saw technique, professionalism. I saw the 2013-14 player I knew."

Liverpool have been linked with Neves on several occasions dating back to his breakthrough at Porto and subsequent success with Wolves over the past couple of seasons, therefore his recent link up with the Anfield side is not unusual.

However, getting the player in coming Summer could be a mammoth task for the Reds as the Premier League newcomers are no way ready to sell their prized asset.

Neves still has four years remaining on a contract extension he signed just last summer to keep him at the club until 2023.

And with the Premier League new boys harbouring dreams of breaking into Europe they would not let their captain go simply given how ambitious and financially strong this Wolves setup is.