Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Ruben Neves was unsure whether or not to move to Saudi Arabia, according to Dean Jones.

What's the latest on Ruben Neves?

After years of speculation linking Neves with a move away from Molineux, the time has finally come for the 26-year-old to make his long-awaited switch.

However, his dreams of playing for Barcelona or Manchester United have been put firmly to rest, with the Portuguese instead swapping Wolves for Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia.

The midfielder became one of the younger players to make the move to Asia this summer, finalising a transfer worth £47m, and subsequently giving up on his dream to play under Xavi at Camp Nou.

According to journalist Dean Jones, Neves was sceptical over a move to the Saudi Pro League, and the 41-cap international would have much preferred a destination closer to home.

Speaking to Football FanCast, Jones said: "I know that Ruben Neves was really umming and ahing over whether to actually go through with that [move to Al Hilal]. Like, it's not an easy decision to make on a personal level.

"Financially, it's obviously tough to turn down. But I think in a dream world, Ruben Neves would have gone to Barcelona or another even club in the Premier League. The problem with Ruben Neves is he was never anyone's absolute priority to get through the door, and that's why he's ended up there."

Neves was wanted by Barcelona, but the Spanish side's financial situation would have made a transfer problematic, while their priority target Ilkay Gundogan has since joined on a free transfer.

Julen Lopetegui will have to fill the hole left behind by Neves next season and how the manager reinvests the £47m will be pivotal in how Wanderers perform.

What's the latest Saudi Arabia transfer news?

Cristiano Ronaldo's high-profile move to Al-Nassr started the ball rolling, but few expected what was to come in terms of the sheer volume of players arriving in the country.

Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kante and Kalidou Koulibaly have all made the switch, while dozens of others from Europe's top leagues are expected to follow.

Some of the latest links involve Marcelo Brozovic, who could be joining Ronaldo at Al-Nassr, while former Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino appears to be on his way to Al-Ahli.

Celtic's 24-year-old winger Jota also appears to be on his way to Al-Ittihad, showing, much like Neves, that it isn't just more senior players making the switch.