Arsenal are rumoured to be interested in signing Wolves star Ruben Neves this summer as the Gunners look to strengthen key areas of their squad.
Mikel Arteta is reportedly keen to address Arsenal's midfield ahead of next season, with the Spaniard hoping to sign a new midfielder to partner Thomas Partey. Granit Xhaka's future is uncertain at the Emirates, with the Swiss midfielder linked with a move to Jose Mourinho's Roma side.
The Portugal international was on the Gunners' transfer radar last summer, with Arteta of the opinion that Neves would make the ideal replacement for Xhaka. According to reports, Neves would command a fee of between £50-60million to depart Molineux as Arsenal prepare for another busy summer transfer window.
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So, if Neves was to make the move to Arsenal in the summer, what sort of impact could he have at the Emirates? Could the Portuguese midfielder help the Gunners win a trophy next season and close the gap to Manchester City and Liverpool? We simulated the 2022/23 season with Neves in Arsenal's squad and this is what happened.
We 'signed' Ruben Neves for Arsenal in the summer transfer window
To set up this simulation, we used the Football Manager 2022 editor to arrange for Neves to join Arsenal at the start of the 2022/23 season, using FM22 to run the simulation. This is what Neves' in-game profile looks like on FM22.
The 25-year-old is a set-piece specialist with brilliant Free Kick Taking (16) and Penalty Taking (16) attributes, paired with spectacular technical and mental attributes such as his Passing (17), Technique (16), Determination (16) and Vision (17). Neves tends to shoot from distance when the opportunity arises whilst dictating the tempo of games, switching the ball to wide areas when possible.
Neves had a sensational debut season at the Emirates, registering 22 assists and scoring eight goals in 56 appearances in all competitions. The Portuguese midfielder became a key player under Arteta, partnering Thomas Partey in midfield as a deep-lying playmaker.
Neves was the top assister at the club, ahead of Martin Odegaard (20), Bukayo Saka (14) and Emile Smith Rowe (12). With an average match rating of 7.39 in all competitions for the Gunners, Neves was the fifth-best performer in the squad only behind Saka (7.51), Smith Rowe (7.48), Odegaard (7.52) and Gabriel Martinelli (7.41).
The 25-year-old averaged a pass completion rate of 87% in all competitions, only bettered by Odegaard out of all Arsenal midfielders. As for Neves' tackle success rate, the Portugal international's percentage of 74% was the best out of any midfielder at the club.
At the end of the 2022/23 season, Football Manager 2022 put together an overall best Arsenal XI, based on performances, statistics and other metrics. This is what the Gunners' best XI looked like at the end of the 2022/23 season as predicted by Football Manager 2022.
Full Arsenal best XI (4-2-3-1): Ramsdale; Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tierney; Neves, Partey; Saka, Odegaard, Smith Rowe; Lacazette.
Neves replaced Xhaka in the starting line-up alongside Partey in midfield as Arsenal's new signing excelled for the Gunners throughout the season. So, how did Arsenal get on in the Premier League and cup competitions with Neves in the squad? Let's take a look.
Arsenal's performance in all competitions
The Gunners finished third in the Premier League in the 2022/23 season with Neves in the squad, qualifying for the Champions League and leapfrogging Chelsea in the table. Arsenal finished only 14 points behind champions Liverpool who ran away with the title, but Arteta's side did close the gap to City, finishing just four points behind Pep Guardiola's side.
Arsenal's inconsistencies were still prominent in the 2022/23 season, but Neves' addition helped the Gunners raise the quality of their performances and results. Compared to the 2020/21 season, Arsenal finished five positions higher in the table, with 20 more points and a better goal difference by +16.
The Gunners were able to win silverware in Neves' debut season at the club after beating Chelsea 2-1 in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley, thanks to goals from Odegaard and Saka. Arsenal finished third in their Champions League group behind Juventus and Bayern Munich, but found themselves reaching the Europa League final before being beaten by Manchester United 1-0, whilst in the FA Cup, it was the blue side of Manchester that would knock Arsenal out in the quarter-finals.
Overall, this Football Manager simulation predicts that if Arsenal were to sign Neves ahead of the 2022/23 season, the 25-year-old could become a crucial player for Arteta and prove to be the perfect partner for Thomas Partey in midfield. The Portugal international could register the most assists out of any player at the club (22), helping the Gunners lift the Carabao Cup in his debut season and help Arsenal dominate more games, leading to better results and ultimately qualifying for the Champions League comfortably.
Would you like to see Ruben Neves sign for Arsenal? Let us know in the comments!
