Ruben Neves has been linked with a transfer to Arsenal over the past few years but a move to the Emirates Stadium now looks unlikely.
Mikel Arteta was keen to add a new central midfielder to his squad before the summer transfer window slammed shut, but technical director Edu was unable to fulfil the Spaniard's demands. Arsenal had three deadline day bids rebuffed for Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz, though they are thought to reignite their interest in the January transfer window with the Brazilian refusing to sign a contract renewal at Villa Park.
Neves has been the subject of interest from the Gunners, along with Premier League rivals Manchester United and Liverpool, and admitted he could leave at the end of last season with his contract set to expire in 2024. The Wolves midfielder has not indicated he is willing to sign a new deal at Molineux and is expected to be pursued by many top clubs next summer, including Catalan giants Barcelona.
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The Portuguese midfielder joined Wolves from Porto for a £16million fee back in 2017 and has enjoyed a successful five years with the west Midlands club. His time at Molineux looks set to be coming to and end with the 25-year-old thought to have his heart set on a move to Barcelona next summer, according to Spanish news outlet SPORT.
Neves is said to have received offers from United and Liverpool during the summer transfer window, but when he heard of the La Liga outfit's interest, he decided to reject the offers he had received. The Portuguese midfielder is willing to wait for Barcelona and sign for them in 2023, ending Arsenal's chances of signing the Wolves star.
Neves' agent, Jorge Mendes, spoke about his future before the summer and he is a player that is liked by the Catalan club. Barcelona are thought to have already informed the 25-year-old that there would not be enough financial resources to sign Neves with Mendes hoping to lower Wolves' asking price of around £45million.
Should Neves make the move to Camp Nou, it could finally see Frenkie de Jong leave the Catalan club though he remains reluctant to leave due to an ongoing wage dispute with the club. The Gunners would need to turn to alternative midfield targets with Luiz and Youri Tielemans both becoming available as free agents next summer.
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