Arsenal have recently cooled their interest in signing Youri Tielemans from Leciester City. With the middle of the park still requiring strengthening it means that the Gunners need to search for alternatives.
One midfielder the club had been linked with was Ruben Neves from Wolves. However, this deal could be in jeapordy due to Frenkie de Jong’s proposed move to Manchester United with the Telegraph reporting that a deal is close for the Dutchman to make the switch to Manchester.
Barcelona will need to replace De Jong and Neves could be that player considering he has previously been linked to the Catalan side. This could have a direct impact on Arsenal’s transfer dealings for the rest of the window.
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According to Spanish news outlet SPORT, Neves is extremely interested in joining Barcelona. The Wolves midfielder is also a target for Manchester United and Arsenal.
Sky Sports had also recently reported that Wolves had put a £50m-£60m price tag on Neves for the summer transfer window. The report had also claimed that the Gunners are still interested in pursuing a deal.
It is clear that Arsenal are on the hunt for a central midfielder in the summer, as the Gunners have also been chasing Youri Tielemans from Leicester City. But with Wolves’ acceptance in selling Neves, Edu could opt for the Portuguese international to be the north London sides’ next midfield acquisition.
Tielemans seemed to be the ideal target to improve the middle of the park for Arsenal, but this is reportedly no longer the case. Mikel Arteta's side have 'cooled' their interest in Tielemans, according to Sky Sports. The report claims that it's become increasingly likely that the Belgium international now signs a one-year contract extension at the King Power Stadium, with his current deal set to expire in 12 months.
Neves would certainly be an ideal alternative to the Belgian as he has been impressive in the Premier League since getting promoted with Wolves from the Championship in the 2017/2018 season. He has gone on to make 142 appearances in England’s top division and has contributed to 30 goals from the central midfield position.
Wolves manager Bruno Lage has never hidden his admiration for the 24-year-old and even recently claimed that he could be worth up to £100million this summer. Speaking to our sister title Birmingham Live, he said: “I don’t know if it’s Man Utd or other teams, what I know is we have a special player here with us.
"When you have that player, the best thing to do is improve his salary and years of contract. But who knows, when you have a top player like him in that specific position, that can defend and attack, and is a top professional and a great man, the big teams are there with £100 million to buy these kinds of players.”
Neves would have been a good option for Arsenal, but with De Jong seemingly on his way to Manchester United, it could open up an opportunity for the Portugal international to make the move to Barcelona.
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