Wolves CONFIRM Ruben Neves departure in club record £47million move to Saudi Pro League Al-Hilal
- Neves has joined Al-Hilal in a club record deal for Wolves, the club confirm
- The midfielder is expected to be joined by a host of European stars this summer
Wolves have confirmed the departure of captain Ruben Neves to Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal for a club record £47million.
The Portugal midfielder scored 30 goals in 253 appearances during six seasons at Molineux.
Neves wiped away tears in an emotional video posted on the Premier League club’s Twitter account, saying he had made ‘thousands of memories which will last forever’.
Wolves sporting director Matt Hobbs told his club’s website: ‘Ruben is the embodiment of everything you look for when trying to bring players into a football club: a leader, a humble man and an extremely talented footballer who took Wolves to a different level.
‘He was part of a great era for this club and will go down as one of our best ever players.
Ruben Neves has departed Wolves in a £47million move to Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia
The 26-year-old broke down several times in an emotional farewell video to Wolves fans
‘We are grateful for everything he has done for Wolves and wish him and his family the very best for the future.’
Neves, who had one year remaining on his contract, was part of the Wolves team which won the Sky Bet Championship title in 2018 following his move from Porto.
The 26-year-old then helped Wanderers to two consecutive seventh-placed finishes in the top flight, in addition to an FA Cup semi-final in 2019 and the Europa League quarter-finals in 2020.
He becomes the latest high-profile player to move to Saudi Arabia.
Neves was named Wolves captain at the beginning of last season and wore the armband
The midfielder is the club’s record sale as he moves to Al-Hilal and the Saudi Pro League
Neves fought back the tears as he thanked the Wolves fans for their support over the last years
Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante have already completed free transfers to Al Ittihad this month, while Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Al Nassr in December.
Shortly before announcing the deal, Wolves posted a video on social media in which Neves sobbed and struggled to contain his emotions.
‘Wolves, six seasons, 253 games, champions of the Championship, five years of Premier League football, an FA Cup semi-final, our European adventure and some huge wins,’ he said.
‘And thousands of memories which will last forever, what an unbelievable journey. I’ve worked with so many great people along the way.
‘Every single moment was unforgettable.’