Exclusive: Arsenal boss Arteta has “always liked” rumoured transfer target, says expert

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has a long-standing interest in Al Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves, though there is nothing concrete happening at the moment in terms of a transfer, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Speaking to CaughtOffside for his exclusive Daily Briefing column, Romano explained that Neves is mainly attracting interest from Newcastle United at the moment, but acknowledged that there are links with Arsenal as well due to a past interest from Arteta.

It seems the Gunners boss is a fan of Neves, so it will be interesting to see if he decides to step up his interest in the Portugal international again any time soon, with talk that he could make his way back to the Premier League this January, just a few months after leaving Wolves for a move to Saudi Arabia.

“Elsewhere with Arsenal, we’re seeing some surprise links with a loan move for Ruben Neves at Al Hilal,” Romano said.

“He’s mainly been linked with Newcastle, who appreciate the player, but there is also historical interest from Mikel Arteta – he has always liked Neves, but there are no negotiations at the moment.”

Arsenal might do well to think about making changes in midfield as they let the influential Granit Xhaka leave in the summer, while Thomas Partey has barely played this season due to injuries, though it remains to be seen if Neves is necessarily seen as an ideal fit to replace either of those players.

Arsenal are currently third in the Premier League table, level on points with Liverpool in second, and just a point off league leaders and reigning champions Manchester City.