Wolverhampton Wanderers have boosted their chances of keeping Ruben Neves at Molineux after potentially pricing him out of a move to Manchester United, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.
The West Midlands outfit forked out a then-club record fee of £15.8million to sign Neves from Porto five years ago, but there have been question marks over whether he will still be on their books by the time next season gets underway.
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What's the latest news involving Neves?
Neves has been the subject of interest from Manchester United, with Romano previously telling GIVEMESPORT that they could look to test Wolves' resolve if they fail in their attempts to sign Barcelona defensive midfielder Frenkie de Jong.
But the Red Devils are not the Portuguese's only admirers, with Arsenal pinpointing him as one of their top summer targets before the 2021/22 campaign had even reached its conclusion.
Barcelona have also been looking to lure Neves away from the Premier League and talks have taken place with intermediaries.
While Wolves head coach Bruno Lage has attempted to fend off bids by claiming his fellow countryman is worth £100million, it is understood that a deal could be struck if an offer worth £70million is tabled.
Neves' Molineux contract - which is worth £58,000-per-week - is due to expire next summer, leaving his current employers in a precarious situation.
What has Fabrizio Romano said about Neves?
Romano believes Manchester United may opt against heading to the negotiating table because of Wolves' hefty price tag for Neves.
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The transfer guru feels the chances of the central midfielder remaining at Molineux have improved as the Red Devils are likely to move onto alternative targets who will cost less.
Romano told GIVEMESPORT: "The point is about the price because, a few weeks ago, Wolves manager Bruno Lage said in public that they want around £100million for Ruben Neves.
"They don't see Manchester United paying that money for a single midfielder like, in this case, Ruben Neves. I'm sure that they will consider other options."
Why do Wolves rate Neves so highly?
Despite being just 25, Neves has already amassed 29 caps for Portugal and made 142 Premier League appearances, underlining his talent.
While he has often sat deep in the heart of Wolves' midfield, he has also shown that he can be a menace in the final third of the pitch by chipping in with 36 goal contributions for the club.
According to FBref, Neves was in the 98th, 92nd and 91st percentiles for long passes completed, through balls and passes into the final third among Premier League midfielders last season, so Wolves would miss his creativity if he were to seal an exit.