Ruben Neves has disclosed that he was on the verge of joining Arsenal and other top European clubs before making the move to Saudi Arabia.
For several seasons, Neves had been linked with a move to prominent clubs such as Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester United. The Portuguese midfielder had established himself as one of the finest midfielders in the Premier League during his time with Wolves.
In the last summer transfer window, Neves was expected to leave Wolves and secure a move to a larger European team, with Barcelona also expressing interest. However, he surprised many by opting to join Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League, a move that may mark the conclusion of his playing career in Europe.
Despite choosing a move to Saudi Arabia, Neves acknowledges that he was close to joining Arsenal, indicating that he had the opportunity to play for a bigger European club before making his decision.
He said, as quoted by Sport Witness:
“I was close to three clubs and it ended up not happening, which saddened me and helped me make the decision to go to Al Hilal. I didn’t want to mention names, but Barcelona was one of the hottest and it wasn’t a lie. It was close to happening, just like with Arsenal.”
Just Arsenal Opinion
Neves was a player we thought could one day play for us as he seemed like the right fit.
However, we trust Mikel Arteta and the club’s board to make decisions on transfers, and they know why they never got serious about signing him despite making contact.
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Decent player, PL quality for sure. Chose to go after money and easier life at Saudi Arabia, can’t fault him. Probably earning hundreds of thousands a week tax-free in a league which requires less effort than during his U21 days. Good luck to him.
Good player but Douglas Luis is a better bet and I would love to see him in our squad next season.