Arsenal eye Ruben Neves transfer after Emi Buendia failure

Ruben Neves Statistical Analysis as Arsenal Eye Transfer

When you think of Neves the immediate thought is either him smashing one into top bins from 30 yards or picking out a raking long ball into the galloping feet of Adama Traore from 40 yards. There’s a reason for that.

Looking at the potential goal threat, flicking through Neves’ archives you’ll be dished up some quite spectacular long-range strikes. He doesn’t score ugly goals. Averaging 2.08 shots per game puts him in the 95th percentile for central midfielders across Europe’s top five divisions, with a non-penalty xG of 0.08, which has him in the 71st.

He’s someone who can kick a football. Long, medium, soft or thunderously hard, he’ll more often than not find what he’s aiming for.

This is reflected in his passing stats, where his completion rate for long balls is at a staggeringly high 98th percentile. It doesn’t reflect as well in his overall completion rate, however, which sits at 83.9%, as his short passing really weakens his numbers.

Of those passes, he averages 6.22 into the final third per 90 minutes (84th percentile), with 1.04 key passes (71st percentile) and 4.19 switches (96th percentile). The numbers paint a picture and are reflected in the style Wolves adopt. Arsenal are a side who don’t switch the play enough, or quickly.

They’re agonising to watch as they adopt a low block and base their game on long distance runners like Traore and Neto breaking out of wing-back to find spaces in behind, as style that suits Neves perfectly given his lack of real pace and athleticism.

In that deep defence he is a valuable shield in front of the back four, averaging 3.94 tackles and interceptions (71st) and making 2.45 blocks (97th) which are figures understandably quite high due to defensive workload entrusted onto the side by previous boss Santo.

In regards to who he is most comparable to in the Arsenal team it’s obviously Xhaka, who isn’t overly mobile but sits in the engine room and sees the play run through him. Like the Swiss, if Neves doesn’t play well his team tend not to either.

A deal not linked to the Buendia transfer failings for obvious reasons, Arsenal are looking to keep tracking players in England, it would seem.