Wolves captain Ruben Neves joins Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) - Wolverhampton Wanderers captain Ruben Neves moved to Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal on Friday as he was said to be sold for a club record transfer fee.

"After six seasons at Molineux, Ruben Neves’ time with Wolves has come to an end, as he joins Saudi Pro League’s Al-Hilal on a permanent deal for a club record transfer fee," the English Premier League club said in a statement.

Sky Sports said the Portuguese midfielder completed his move to Al-Hilal from Wolves for £47 million, or $59.7 million.

Al-Hilal welcomed their new signing on Twitter, and confirmed that Neves, 26, signed a contract with the team that will expire in 2026.

Neves, a former Porto player, scored 30 goals in 253 appearances for the Wolves from 2017 - 2023.

He separately plays for Portugal and won the 2019 UEFA Nations League.

Having big investments in football, Saudi Arabian clubs target star players in Europe.

Earlier this week, French midfielder N'Golo Kante, who last played for England's Chelsea, was signed by Al-Ittihad and will join his compatriot Karim Benzema, who was a long-time Real Madrid forward.