Arsenal: 3 reasons Ruben Neves should not be signed

Arsenal are in the market for central midfielders. Probably a lot of them. With six currently on the books but anywhere up to five of them departing during the summer transfer window, reinforcements become essential. One of those should not be Ruben Neves, however.

Looking across the team, if there is one position that needs seeing to more than any other it is in central midfield. Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi will leave despite their holes not needing filling, Dani Ceballos’ loan has finished, Joe Willock remains a potential cash injection, Granit Xhaka looks primed for Roma and Mohamed Elneny is Mohamed Elneny.

Hello Thomas Partey and Miguel Azeez double pivot.

That department is set for a major overhaul and depending on outgoings, at least two new options will need to be acquired in the summer window to build a balanced squad that can launch a meaningful charge towards the Premier League top four.

Arsenal: 3 reasons Ruben Neves should not be signed in summer transfer window after links emerge

Yves Bissouma is the only name that has been heavily linked with an Emirates Stadium switch, while less concrete reports of Albert Sambi Lokonga have emerged.

More recently, Ruben Neves’ name has entered the fray. Early reports link Arsenal with making a move for the Wolves man, who with two years left on his contract is up for sale at Molinuex to help accrue some funding for incoming manager Bruno Lage.

Neves has racked up 176 appearances for Wolves across his four seasons at the club, scored 20 goals and helped guide his side to consecutive seventh place finishes in the Premier League prior to last season’s less favourable 13th place conclusion.

Someone courted by a number of clubs, the rumours have been backed up by The Athletic that Arsenal have thrown their hat into the ring (potentially agent-led interest as per some sources) which has thrown up some interesting debates.

£35m should be enough to secure his signature, but this is a move Arsenal should not pursue.

3. Ruben Neves Is Not Quick or Mobile Enough for Arsenal

Mikel Arteta is trying to mould his side into a front-footed outfit, one that can sustain pressure in attacks and be defensively organised to deal with transition given they push higher.

Ruben Neves turns no quicker than Granit Xhaka. He isn’t snails pace slow but he is far from the mobile defensive midfielder that Bissouma is, for example. The Malian makes sense in that department. He’s lightening quick across the ground, wins the ball back high up the pitch and can keep his side ticking over with his recoveries and tackles.

Gabriel and William Saliba are two defenders who will allow Arsenal to push high. They have the pace to deal with quick turnovers and mean those in front can squeeze the opposition in and retain the ball, but Arsenal have not been able to play this way effectively with Xhaka in the team. That won’t change with Neves, who will be played through too often.

Neves isn’t the ilk of player this side needs. Arsenal need midfielders (players in general) who can cover the grass at pace, carry the ball effectively and win duels across the pitch.

The 24-year-old is a top level midfielder, he just isn’t the direction Arsenal should be heading in. More energy and athleticism is needed in the centre of the park, with those points being one of the key reasons Xhaka was lambasted throughout his Arsenal career.

2. Ruben Neves Would Not Fit in At Arsenal

Whenever Wolves see more of the ball, they lose. They are not a possession-based side and that suits Neves down to a tee.

It’s important to note that Neves is a very talented midfielder. What he would bring to Arsenal is what he would bring to any side: game-stretching long balls, wicked set piece delivery and sumptuous raking diagonals.

However, an Arsenal side that wants to have the ball all of the time and play high up the pitch eliminates many of Neves’ better traits. It’s about close triangles, side-to-side partnerships and progression through the thirds. None of that suits Neves’ style. It doesn’t play into his strengths.

He barely ever plays short, completing just 14.02 short passes per 90 minutes, putting him in the lowly 24th percentile for midfielders across Europe. His 88.2% short pass completion (36th percentile) and 89.3% medium pass completion (53rd percentile) aren’t the most endearing. Wolves soak up and break, Arsenal build and create.

There is always scope to develop as a player, absorb new ideas and embed yourself into new systems, but this isn’t the time to be doing that. Not for £35m and not when a 38-game season is all that matters.

What exactly would Neves improve in the team? Say he’s a Xhaka replacement, then the progressive passing numbers drop (he’s in the 65th percentile) and mobility issues remain. He has superb qualities but his arrival wouldn’t make Arsenal faster, stronger, more progressive, more defensively assured or more threatening in the final third.

A top player who isn’t the right fit. The team won’t improve anywhere near enough to warran £35m being spent on him.

1. Jorge Mendes Would Enter the Fray at Arsenal

Fans want Willian and Cedric Soares gone from the club. There are footballing reasons for both but the additional benefit would spell the end of Kia Joorabchian’s fingers being in Arsenal’s pie.

Jorge Mendes is one of the super-agents on the continent. Wolves don’t give one toss about it and make no effort to hide it, which is anyway hard enough with 524 Portuguese players in their squad and his personal involvement in nearly 20 deals.

Edu has proven himself to be someone who likes to get friendly with the wrong people. Mendes and Edu may well already be close pals, but it should only ever remain as that.

The introduction of someone like him would impact future signings and decisions, while this club has to stop paying exorbitant fees to agents for ‘doing them a favour’. For Mendes, he received no less than £6.4m of the £35m transfer fee Wolves dished out to sign Fabio Silva last summer, and he isn’t even the player’s agent.

For a club overhauling its scouting department after wholesale changes, the potential arrival of someone who would get under Edu’s skin and wrangle himself a few deals and a few million quid is not wanted. Agents are unavoidable in the sport no matter how well-known they are, but those with power like Mendes should be avoided.

This is alone isn’t a reason not to sign Neves, but it sure adds to it.