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It has often felt like Manchester United never truly replaced many of the iconic players of the late 2000s and early 2010s.

Among them was Paul Scholes, who retired (permanently) in 2013, the same year as Sir Alex Ferguson.

United have not won a Premier League title since. And with the arrival of Bruno Fernandes and doubts remaining over Paul Pogba's future, it’s fair to say that most fans recognise the need for another top-quality midfielder.

Few seem to fit the bill better than Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Ruben Neves. The Portuguese, since arriving at Molineux from Porto in 2017, has established a reputation as an exceptional passer and a real threat shooting from distance.

Scholes, late in his career, dropped into a deeper role, and that is largely the position Neves takes up for Wolves. As a result, his statistics are not always remarkable: he has scored two goals and provided one assist in 29 Premier League appearances this season.

But the 23-year-old’s real strength is his range of passing: whether it is a piercing through-ball or a long, expertly-placed pass over the top of the opposition defence, Neves rarely misses.

Like Scholes, he is capable of playing a diagonal ball across the width of the pitch with unerring accuracy. And, like Scholes, he is a menace for the opposition when he ventures forward.

Since the start of last season, according to WhoScored, Neves has scored seven goals from outside the box. Several of them have been spectacular. And he has only managed five touches in the opposition box during the same period of time.

That is an indication of Neves’ style of play. He is not a box-to-box midfielder, not the type to burst into the box and get the finishing touch on a move. He is often the man to start off the move, the facilitator for his side’s more attack-minded players.

That is not to say he is ineffective in advanced areas - far from it. His long range shooting is among the best in the Premier League, and it is rare that Wolves fans don’t urge him to go for goal when he collects the ball anywhere near the box.

(Image: Photo by Matt McNulty - Manchester City/Manchester City FC via Getty Images)

“It’s a trademark, he’s so good at it," Owen Hargreaves said on BT Sport after Neves had scored a stunner against Espanyol in the Europa League. "(Neves) reminds me of Paul Scholes, the way he hits the ball so cleanly.

“Absolutely perfect. Literally, he’s one of the best. He’s in complete control (of the situation), he’s able to caress the ball, he knows exactly where the goal is before it happens. It’s almost picture perfect.”

Like Scholes in the latter years of his career, though, there is a maturity to Neves’ game. He does not shoot when a pass is the better option. And he is far from wild in his approach. It’s easy to forget Neves is still in his early 20s.

It’s easy to forget, too, that there is more to his game than spectacular goals. That is what makes the headlines, what earns the plaudits. But it is not why Neves has become such an integral part of Wolves’ team over the last few years.

Whether a future move to United appeals to Neves - or United - remains to be seen. He has spoken of his desire to return to Porto at some point, despite reports of interest from Liverpool and Juventus.

If he does eventually find himself at Old Trafford, though, Neves will inevitably be compared to Scholes. That might bring with it an element of pressure.

But he is still young, with years ahead of him to improve. United may yet prove to be the perfect destination for Neves.