According to respected journalist Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal He decided not to sign Al Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves last summer after it emerged that Thomas Partey would stay.
The Portuguese star was linked to both Barcelona and Arsenal during the summer of 2023 transfer window and the recently confirmed in an interview that he was close to joining them.
Exclusively for Caught offside, Roman He has now revealed that talks were less advanced on the Gunners' side. They asked his agent about a move, but talks ended because Partey stayed behind.
He said: “Ruben Neves has admitted that he has the opportunity to stay in Europe this summer before moving to Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal, and said that things have progressed a lot with both Barcelona and Arsenal. To clarify what this means here, Barcelona had an agreement with Neves on personal terms.”
“Arsenal asked their agent about a possible move, but they were less advanced than Barça. In the end it was not like that because the Wolves only wanted to sell for more than 40 million euros and the best proposal was that of Al Hilal. The problem was money: it was impossible for Barcelona to complete this offer and Arsenal decided to abandon the talks when it became known that Thomas Partey would stay.”
Lost opportunity
Neves was widely considered to join an elite European club last summer, having performed fantastically for Wolves in the first division. Many touted Barcelona as his favorite destination, while Arsenal were also mentioned as likely contenders for his signature.
However, neither club took the opportunity to sign the £47million star and ended up in Al-Hilal. Barcelona were unable to spend on a standout defensive midfielder due to their Financial Fair Play issues. They re-signed Oriol Romeu for a nominal fee last summer, but Andreas Christensen is currently their preferred option in the No. 6 spot.
Arsenal were hoping to tie up Partey with a record signing Declan Rice in the center of the field and the latter plays a central role further up. His plan hasn't worked as Partey has been injured for most of the season. Neves would have been a good signing, but Jorginho and Kai Havertz They have done a credible job alongside Rice.
Neves missed out on the chance to continue his Premier League career with Arsenal, but the Gunners will not be disappointed. Partey is expected to return soon from his thigh injury and could play an important role in the lead-up to the season. They could replace the Ghanaian with a younger midfielder like Amadou Onana.
