5 early contenders for Premier League Young Player Of The Year

#4 Ruben Neves

The Portuguese international is hot property among the European elite clubs after a stellar season so far.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been the most enjoyable Premier League side to watch this season, having taken the English top-flight by storm after their promotion from the Championship in 2017. Though Wolves’ success is credited to many stand-out performers such as Raul Jimenez and Joao Moutinho, it is Ruben Neves who has come on his own.

The Portuguese international has been a pivotal figure in this Wolves team which has proved to be a nuisance this season for the top-six. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have managed to upset Chelsea and Tottenham whilst earning hard-fought draws against Manchester City, United and Arsenal earlier this season.

Neves is a deep-lying midfielder known for both his defensive stability and attacking prowess. With the likes of Moutinho complementing him in a double-pivot, Neves is all-the-more influential for the Wanderers. He has 3 goals and 2 assists in the league this season which includes his occasional thunderbolt from outside the box.

The box-to-box midfielder also has an impressive 55 tackles under his belt more than his illustrious counterparts Lucas Torreira (54), Fernandinho (52) and N’golo Kante (47). At just 21, Neves looks an assured and mature athlete in this new-look Wolves side who have settled in well in the Premier League.

Recent reports have suggested that Neves’ heroics this season has attracted interest from Italian giants Juventus and fellow Premier League champions Manchester City who are looking to get the Portuguese in their squad as a long-term replacement for aging Fernandinho.