Liverpool assistant manager admits interest in Wolves’ Ruben Neves

Neves has been a key part of an impressive Wolverhampton Wanderers side this season

Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders has admitted that Wolves star Ruben Neves is the type of player that "always interests" the Merseyside club. Neves joined then Championship-side Wolves from Porto for a fee in the region of £16 million - a club and league record at the time - and has been a revelation at the heart of their midfield since. Lijnders knows the player well, having worked with Neves during his seven-year spell at Porto as a coach, and has confirmed that his recent impressive performances in the Premier League haven't gone unnoticed. Lijnders told Portuguese newspaper O Jogo: "I know him very well, his ambition, his passion for the game, his professionalism. "I know what he gives to the team and this type of player always interests us. "I recognised him when I saw him at Wolves. I saw technique, professionalism. I saw the 2013-14 player I knew." Neves has scored 10 goals in 77 appearances for the West Midlands side and was named to both the EFL Championship and PFA team of the year in 17/18. Wolves are unlikely to let the Portuguese international go cheap, however, as he still has four years remaining on a contract extension he signed just last summer to keep him at the club until 2023.