Ruben Neves is poised to join Real Madrid on a free transfer, dealing a blow to Manchester United's aspirations, according to former Al Hilal player Al Jaber. The Red Devils had been monitoring Neves' expiring contract as a potential bargain opportunity. The 28-year-old midfielder would command around £20million to prise away from Al Hilal right now but his deal is set to run down in just over six months, meaning he will be a free agent.

The ex-Wolves maestro could arrive with hefty wage expectations after pocketing £350,000-a-week in Saudi Arabia. Securing a central midfielder remains a top priority for United, who have been tracking several targets including Carlos Baleba, Conor Gallagher, Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson. It seems Neves may slip through their fingers though, with Los Blancos keen to pull off a low-risk, high-reward acquisition.

Jaber, who also had a stint at Molineux in 2000, revealed on MBC that Neves is destined to depart for nothing and link up with the Spanish powerhouse. "I fear Neves will move from Al Hilal to Real Madrid for free after his contract expires at the end of this season," he said.

"There are English Premier League clubs that want to sign Neves, offering three-year contracts - until he is 31. There is Real Madrid, and I'm sure there are other clubs interested in Neves."

The development will come as a setback after it was revealed that Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo is poised to opt for Manchester City over Old Trafford. The Cherries star is eager to make the switch to the Etihad and is available for £65m in the summer.

Ruben Amorim held talks with Semenyo during the summer, but United's pursuit appears to have fallen short. The Portuguese manager has remained tight-lipped regarding the club's January strategy but insists on only targeting players who can make a lasting impact at United.

"We'll see," Amorim said when asked if money was available for the transfer window. "The only thing we know is that we only would try to bring players that we think are going to be the future.

"It's not going to be to save something in this moment, to cope with the losses of three players for AFCON. "It's not going to be like that, even if we try to bring one player, maybe it's not the position that we need more.

"We will try to bring now - and in the end of the season - players that are perfect for our future. I don't know what is going to happen, but it's possible that we can do something."