Arsenal have now signalled that they would be willing to pay €60m (£51m) to sign one of Europe’s most promising midfield talents.
It’s certainly no secret Mikel Arteta wants to sign a new middle man this summer, someone who can complement Declan Rice’s arrival last.
Surprisingly, Rice thrived in a more advanced role last season, an experiment that Arteta could make permanent next.
Scoring seven goals, Rice enjoyed the best xG overperformance in the whole Arsenal squad last campaign, a remarkable feat.
And that partly explains why Arsenal may decide to sign a new number six this summer, allowing Rice to continue to enjoy this offensive freedom.
In terms of who Arsenal could target for their pivot, Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz appears an obvious target.
Arsenal have been told they can sign Luiz for a cut-price this summer, but it remains to be seen how strong their long-term interest remains.
Benfica’s 19-year-old superstar Joao Neves is a more recent addition to the shortlist, and Arsenal are now making advances.
Arsenal told £51m bid for Joao Neves will be rejected by Benfica this summer
According to Portuguese outlet Abola, Arsenal have now expressed their intention to send a bid of €60m (£51m) to Benfica for Neves, which will be rejected.
Manchester United are said to be in a similar position, with both clubs falling short of Neves’ €120m release clause.
And although there’s been no agreement yet, this report also confirms that Benfica are attempting to raise that clause up to €150m in recent contract talks.
Neves is a remarkable talent, as he once again proved on his full debut for Portugal recently.
And in terms of finding a talent who can complement Rice at Arsenal, Neves is perhaps the only young European midfielder who is showing the potential to reach the dizzy heights of Rice or even Manchester City’s Rodri.
Neves is destined to become ‘one of the best’, a player who is still so combative despite his comparatively small build compared to those mentioned.
And although Arsenal would appear reluctant to pay Neves’ full release clause this summer, they may be well advised to up their initial bid considerably.
All that being said, one Arteta signing who left the club a year ago for £10m is now back up for sale already.
