Arsenal to ‘hijack’ Newcastle’s Ruben Neves move as alternative to Douglas Luiz
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Arsenal could try to beat Newcastle to the signing of Al-Hilal playmaker Ruben Neves instead of targeting Douglas Luiz in January, according to reports. The Gunners are widely expected to be active in the winter market as Mikel Arteta looks to shore up his squad for the business end of the Premier League campaign.
The capture of a new midfielder is said to be a priority at the Emirates Stadium, with Thomas Partey set to remain out until the new year with an ongoing thigh issue. Arsenal were heavily linked with a move for Luiz last January but will instead be aiming to leapfrog Newcastle in the race to sign Neves, according to talkSPORT.
Neves, who only joined Al-Hilal from Wolves in the summer, is widely reported to have been identified as a target by the Magpies in their efforts to replace the suspended Sandro Tonali. A potential loan deal is thought to have been discussed at St James’ Park but their plans to swoop for Neves could soon be scuppered by a number of their Premier League rivals.
Shareholders will vote later this month on whether to block loan signings between clubs with the same owners, which would stop the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia from brokering a deal between Newcastle and Al-Hilal. This could work in Arsenal’s favour when it comes to their interest in Neves, with sporting director Edu thought to be a long-term admirer.
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Neves already has plenty of Premier League experience to his name after spending six years at Wolves, where he established himself as a club legend with his performances in the middle of the park. He made 253 appearances in total for the west Midlands outfit, scoring 30 goals and captaining the side regularly before joining Al-Hilal in a £47million deal over the summer.
The Portuguese midfielder would certainly be a promising addition for Arsenal if they decide to firm up their reported interest in his signature at the turn of the year. He would be expected to fill the void left by Partey’s absence in the engine room as the Ghana international continues to recover from a problematic thigh injury.
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Arteta recently conceded that Partey’s lack of fitness has been a significant worry for the Gunners, saying last month: “He is a big concern because when Thomas is fit and available and he’s been part of the team, we have seen what the results and the impact that he has on the team.
“This season we have more protection, especially for that reason as well because we know in the past two seasons what has happened and the impact that it had on the team so we had to address that. Now it’s happened and it happens in football. I’m so sorry for him because I think he’s doing every single thing that he can do right to be there, he was gutted. We are all for him, he needs to lift himself up again with our support and go again because he is a player that is critical for us.”
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