Upon the conclusion of the summer transfer window, you’d be forgiven for thinking the January market might be a quieter affair for Arsenal.
Andrea Berta and Mikel Arteta collaborated to spend vast sums of money to prepare for the 2025/26 campaign and boy did they need to.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta
While the jury is still out on the lines of Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke, the depth they added in defence has more than been required.
A lot has been made about the Gunners’ increased squad depth and given injuries to pretty much every player in the backline at some point this term, they’ve needed those extra bodies.
Well, heading into the winter window, even more depth may be required.
Arsenal chasing former Premier League midfielder
There wasn’t a position left untouched over the summer as Arsenal prepared for their assault on the title.
However, the position arguably lacking the most depth right now is in midfield.
Declan Rice missed Arsenal’s clash with Aston Villa on Tuesday night due to injury and there is a sense they need someone to help him out.
Rice
Rice is irreplaceable but an extra body to reduce his workload would not go amiss. The same can be said of fellow midfielder Martin Zubimendi who has played virtually every minute since arriving from Real Sociedad in the summer.
One option, according to Caught Offside, is former Wolverhampton Wanderers star Ruben Neves.
The Portuguese maestro left Molineux behind for the riches of Saudi Arabia back in 2023 but is now said to be keen on a return to European football.
The report claims that Neves has actually been offered to several top clubs, including Arsenal, during talks. That said, no concrete response has been issued by the transfer chiefs at the Emirates Stadium.
ruben-neves-portugal
Other reports indicate he could be available for as little as £15m with his contract expiring in the summer. That's a big discount on the £47m Al-Hilal paid for him.
How Ruben Neves compares to Declan Rice
If Arteta and Co were to conclude a deal for Neves in January then he would represent the perfect foil to both Rice and Zubimendi.
In many senses, the former Wolves man is cut from a similar cloth as a certain Cesc Fabregas.
ruben-neves-wolves-championship
Capable of playing as a deep-lying playmaker, his passing range and ability to dictate the tempo are first-class. That said, he’s also got the ability to maraud forward and influence play in the final third.
Not just an exceptional passer, he’s devastating with his shooting from range. Indeed, of the 13 non-penalty goals he scored for Wolves in the Premier League, as many as nine of them came from outside of the box. This is clearly an area Arsenal need to improve in.
You sense only the aforementioned Rice has a similar ability in Arteta’s squad. Remember those two free-kicks against Real Madrid? Of course you do, they’re difficult to forget.
Both have cultivated a reputation as being dead-ball specialists. While Rice has yet to score from a dead-ball situation since those magical efforts against Madrid, he is now one of the best corner takers in Europe.
Ruben Neves goal involvements per season (timeless)
Likewise, Neves is pretty damn good over a set-piece. The 28-year-old has scored seven direct free-kicks in his career, three of which have been scored in the Premier League and the latest of which came in a Saudi Pro League game in November.
While Rice has undoubtedly become more well-rounded since Neves played in England’s top-flight, data from the 2022/23 campaign suggests they are even more similar than just their set-piece prowess.
Neves vs Rice in 2022/23
Stat (per 90 mins)
Goals
Assists
Passes completed
Key passes
Passes into final 3rd
Progressive passes
Shot-creating actions
Tackles won
Interceptions
Stats via FBRef.
According to FBref, the second most similar player in the Premier League that campaign to Neves was indeed Rice.
The numbers help showcase why. At that point, they registered a similar number of goals and assists per 90 minutes. Perhaps the most intriguing similarity is their passing.
During that term, the volume of key passes and progressive passes they made was nearly identical. Their shot-creating actions and defensive actions were very similar too. There is a reason he's been described as an "unbelievable technician" by analyst Raj Chohan.
neves-premier-league-wolves-al-hilal-nuno-santo-transfer
Of course, Rice has become more of a rampaging presence in midfield now but Neves certainly shares a lot of similar traits to Arsenal’s record signing. Think of him as a hybrid of Zubimendi and the club’s no.41.
In the prime of his career, the chance to add Neves to the squad as they hunt extra depth almost feels too good to turn down.