Both Arsenal and Newcastle United are likely to suffer a blow in their reported pursuit of Portugal international Ruben Neves, who, as is being reported, is set to stay in Saudi Arabia despite rumours of him returning to England
Arsenal and Newcastle United transfer target Ruben Neves is expected to stay in Saudi Arabia despite reports linking him with a return to Premier League, says The Athletic. Neves left English side Wolverhampton Wanderers in the summer of 2023 to move to Al Hilal amid the mass spree that Saudi Arabia embarked upon to bring some of Europe's best players to the Middle East. (Football News)
Neves' initial links to Newcastle drew plenty of scrutiny, given the direct association between Saudi Arabia and the Magpies, so much so, that it pushed Premier League clubs into voting with respect to associate party transactions. Despite the noise, The Athletic reported that neither Newcastle nor the also-linked Arsenal had made their moves to bring the Portugal midfieder in yet. Rather, Neves is now likely to remain in Saudi Arabia and help his current club, Al Hilal, finish the season positively.
A product of the FC Porto youth academy, Neves moved to England to sign with Wolves in 2017. Within a season, the midfielder helped the Midlands outfit return to the Premier League, where they remain at the time of writing. Across his six seasons with Wolves, Neves made more than 250 appearances and scored 30 goals before leaving for Saudi Arabia as a club legend.