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Arsenal plan to sign Neves if they fail to sign Zubimendi

By Ritayan Chatterjee on June 7, 2024

Arsenal are reportedly planning to sign SL Benfica star Joao Neves if they fail to sign Martin Zubimendi this summer, as per the Portuguese outlet Record.

It has widely been reported that the Gunners are keen on purchasing a new midfielder in the upcoming transfer window. A plethora of names have been linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium over the last few weeks with Douglas Luiz, Amadou Onana and Bruno Guimaraes being among them.

However, Mikel Arteta is reportedly a big fan of Zubimendi so he wants to sign him to reinforce the midfield department. But, the Real Sociedad star is said to be happy at his boyhood club and isn’t willing to move abroad at the moment.

Therefore, the North London club have been struggling to persuade the Spaniard to join the club. Now, according to the report by Record, Arsenal have identified Neves as an alternative option to Zubimendi in-case they couldn’t manage to lure him to the Emirates Stadium.

The report further claims that Neves has a £102m release clause in his current contract and Benfica don’t want to let their star man leave for anything less than £85m. So, Arsenal will have to break the bank to purchase the 19-year-old this summer.

Neves to Arsenal

It has been reported that Manchester United and Manchester City are also keen on signing him and additionally, Real Madrid are eyeing a swoop for him as well. So, the Gunners will have to overcome stiff competition from their rivals in getting any potential deal done for him.

Neves is a technically gifted deep-lying playmaker and it is believed that he is going to become a world-class midfielder in future if he can stay fit. The youngster is excellent with the ball at his feet and can also contribute defensively as well.

Neves possesses the necessary attributes to play in Arteta’s possession-based system. So, he would be a great coup for Arsenal if they purchase him. However, it is going to be interesting to see whether the North London club eventually opt to secure Neves’ signature by matching Benfica’s price tag in the upcoming transfer window.