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Arsenal: Gunners still eyeing Ruben Neves and Youri Tielemans
Transfer expert Dean Jones says that Arsenal are still eyeing potential moves for Wolves’ Ruben Neves and Leicester City’s Youri Tielemans this month.
The Lowdown: Summer interest
Arsenal were credited with interest in the summer transfer window for both Neves and Tielemans, but they both stayed at their respective clubs in the end.
A central midfielder is still needed in this window, with Mikel Arteta expressing his concern over the seriousness of Mohamed Elneny’s latest injury ahead of their trip to Manchester City in the FA Cup fourth round, while Thomas Partey has also been injury-prone during his time at the Emirates Stadium.
If the Ghana international were to pick up an injury, it would leave the Gunners very short in that area of the pitch, so it would not be a surprise to see a midfielder come in before the deadline.
The Latest: Neves and Tielemans ‘still’ on list
Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones says that Neves and Tielemans are ‘still’ on Arsenal’s list from the summer, and are ones to ‘look out for’ at the end of this window:
“Players like Youri Tielemans or Ruben Neves are still players I’d consider to be on Arsenal’s list.
“They’re players we should probably look out for in this window or at the end of the season.”
The Verdict: Premier League experience helps…
Neves and Tielemans’ experience in the Premier League is an added bonus if the North Londoners are able to sign either one of them, as they could slot into the team straight away and would need little time to adapt should there be an injury pile-on in the squad.
Hailed as an ‘amazing‘ player by his team-mate Jose Sa, Neves has consistently been one of the top performers in his position not just in the top flight, but in Europe, as he ranks in the 96th percentile for clearances and 90th for both shots and interceptions per game in Europe’s top leagues over the last year (FBRef).
His playing style is comparable to that of West Ham United and England star Declan Rice, incidentally another player linked with a move to Arsenal, and at 25 years of age, the Portugal international has not even reached his peak yet.
Tielemans is also 25, and is out of contract in the summer, meaning that he could provide a cheaper solution to the Gunners’ midfield concerns, but getting either player in would certainly be a big boost to the depth at the manager’s disposal.
