Wolves are set to seal the £15.8m club record signing of Portugal midfielder Rúben Neves from Porto, manager Nuno has confirmed.
Neves, who became the youngest captain in Champions League history when he captained his boyhood club at the age of 18 years and 221 days in October 2015, played for Nuno during his spell at the club last season and is already believed to have agreed personal terms.
Now aged 20, Neves has won two senior caps and was part of the Portugal squad eliminated at the group stages of the European Under-21 Championship in Poland last month. Wolves are also set to sign Porto’s French centre-back Willy Boly on a season-long loan with an option to buy, having already completed deals for four players – Roderick Miranda, Barry Douglas, Ryan Bennett and Phil Ofosu-Ayeh – since Nuno was appointed at the end of May.
Nuno is a client of agent Jorge Mendes, who is known to have a close connection with Porto. Wolves have denied he has garnered an excessive influence in their transfer dealings, although the club has knowledged that Mendes was a “known associate” and friend of the club’s Chinese owner.
Meanwhile, Huddersfield Town have signed the Benin forward Steve Mounié from Montpellier. The fee is undisclosed but a reported £11.5m is a club record – the fourth time the new Premier League side have paid a record transfer fee this summer.
The 22-year-old, who has dual French and Benin nationality, scored 14 goals in Ligue 1 last season. His signing was confirmed on Wednesday, one day after the arrival of Tom Ince from Derby for over £8m.
Huddersfield have also spent £3.5m on the Belgian striker Laurent Depoitre and an initial £8m to turn the midfielder Aaron Mooy’s season-long loan from Manchester City into a permanent deal.
David Wagner told the club’s website: “I’m delighted we could sign Steve ahead of the start of pre-season training. He has a very exciting combination of attributes that makes him a very attractive proposition as a young striker.”
The manager added: “He has real physical attributes that should be perfect for the Premier League, plus we have already seen his talents as a footballer in his remarkable season in France.”
“We have met and I know he is a great character. For a man of his young age, he already has great experience both in life and as a footballer, playing in a high quality Ligue 1. At just 22 years old, he is only going to improve. Given what he is already capable of, that is very exciting.”
Mounié said he had fulfilled a lifelong dream with a move to English football. “It is a big challenge and I hope I will do very well,” he told HTTV. “We know how the Premier League is the best in the world and it was a dream when I was young and a goal for me. Now I am here and I will work very hard to do my bit for the team.”
Left-back Scott Malone has also arrived on a three-year deal from Fulham on another busy day for the Premier League new boys.