Adama Traore is not the only Nuno Espirito Santo favourite who has been linked with a West Ham United switch in January. You can add former Wolves captain Ruben Neves to that list as well.
Hammers News reported back in October that Nuno would like to work with Adama Traore again in East London.
It was the West Ham United boss who transformed the Fulham winger from a blinkered horse to a pedigree stallion at Molineux. Not even Jurgen Klopp or Pep Guardiola could find a solution to Traore in his turbo-charged, Old Gold pomp.
Another who played the best football of his career under Nuno, Chris Wood is one to watch as well while 2026 looms into view. Wood scored a lifetime-high 20 Premier League goals during Nottingham Forest’s successful European charge just last season.
When it comes to Ruben Neves, though, West Ham’s interest is more of a rumour than anything particularly concrete.
It was self-professed ‘transfer news expert’ Ekrem Konur who reported earlier this month, on X, that the Hammers have positioned themselves in the queue should Neves opt against extending his contract at Al-Hilal.
The Portugal playmaker is due to become a free-agent next summer.
So, unsurprisingly, the topic of Neves’ future was one of the topics brought up as Al-Hilal coach Simone Inzaghi faced the media this week.
Simone Inzaghi wants to keep West Ham United-linked Ruben Neves at Al-Hilal
In addition to West Ham, Manchester United, Newcastle, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly watching Neves’ situation closely.
So too are Italian giants Inter Milan and Juventus, plus Super Lig rivals Galatasaray and Fenerbahce.
Speaking to CNN Arabic, former Inter Milan and Lazio coach Inzaghi was at pains to point out that it’s not only he who is determined to extend Neves’ two-and-a-half year stay in Saudi Arabia.
“Transfer operations are always under the vision of Al-Hilal Club. The club president [Prince Nawaf bin Saad] and the sporting director follow up on that, and there is certainly a plan regarding that,” says Inzaghi, who moved to the Middle East after Inter’s humiliating 5-0 defeat by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final.
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“Neves is a very good player. He performs at a high level with the club.
“Before I started my job, I knew Neves was a good player. But after coming here I learned even more about how special he is.
“We [coaches] and the management are keen for him to stay.”
Former Wolves star could opt to stay in Saudi Arabia as he prepares for the World Cup
Ben Jacobs, a reporter with good connections in the Middle East, indicated to the United Stand last week that Ruben Neves is not quite as set on a return to Europe as others would have you believe.
“Ruben Neves, I think, is harder [to sign] now, because it looks like the direction of travel is about extending his time in Saudi Arabia,” said Jacobs.
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“And there are a lot of sources that feel that he’ll follow the path of [Al-Hilal teammate Sergej] Milinkovic-Savic and commit his future.
“Whether or not that means that he stays for the duration of any extension remains to be seen. [Over the summer] the player was debating whether he wanted to go into this season still in Saudi Arabia in a World Cup year, or whether he was prepared to leave.”
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