Manchester City is reportedly ready to compete with Arsenal to secure the signature of Al-Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves. The Portuguese international has been linked with several top European clubs during his time at Wolverhampton Wanderers, playing a significant role in their rise from the Championship to the Premier League.
Manchester United, Liverpool, and Arsenal are believed to be interested in Neves. However, the midfielder seems tempted by the fantastic offer from the Saudi Pro League to join Al-Hilal for €55 million.
Neves has become an indispensable starter for Al-Hilal, scoring two goals and providing one assist in 17 matches. He now plays alongside Neymar, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, and Aleksandar Mitrovic, who were recruited in the summer. Neves’s contract with Al-Hilal extends until the summer of 2026, but rumors of a possible return to the Premier League have surfaced, with Arsenal ready to bring him back to England.
Newcastle United is also considering a loan deal for Neves in January following a 10-month suspension for Sandro Tonali. However, it seems The Magpies may be unable to recruit him due to Premier League restrictions on loaning players to clubs under the same ownership.
With the possibility of Newcastle being ruled out, Football Insider claims that Manchester City is prepared to be a competitor to Arsenal, as reported by Sportsmole on Friday (November 17, 2023). Pep Guardiola is reportedly not satisfied with Phillips.
With Euro 2024 on the horizon, both Phillips and Man City are expected to seek a way for the midfielder to leave during the January transfer window. This could open the door for Neves to return to the Premier League.
Guardiola is said to greatly admire the former Wolves midfielder, who is rumored to be open to leaving Al-Hilal in early January or the summer transfer window. Neves seems to have joined the Saudi Pro League with the intention of soon returning to top European competitions, although Al-Hilal is not in a position to let him go at a low price due to his lengthy contract situation.
If the Portuguese international completes his move to the Etihad, he will reunite with his former Wolves teammate Matheus Nunes, who joined from Molineux earlier this summer.
Aaron Ramsdale is no longer the main goalkeeper for Arsenal. Therefore, former Liverpool player Steve Nicol suggests Ramsdale to leave The Gunners.
Ramsdale became Arsenal’s main goalkeeper after being signed from Sheffield United in the summer of 2021. However, his fate changed dramatically this season.
The arrival of David Raya pushed Ramsdale to the bench. Mikel Arteta now prefers to field the Spanish goalkeeper to guard Arsenal’s goal.
This season, Ramsdale has only played seven times in all competitions with Arsenal, recording two clean sheets and conceding eight goals from his appearances.
Steve Nicol criticized Mikel Arteta’s decision to bring in David Raya, stating that Raya did not show a good enough performance when replacing Aaron Ramsdale.
“Arteta decided to use Raya at the beginning of the season, and the only way for Ramsdale not to have a problem is if Raya performs exceptionally well, but in fact, he did not perform exceptionally well,” Nicol told ESPN.
“Any professional player, whether you’re on the field, in goal, wherever you are, if you’re not playing and it’s clear that the player in front of you is playing but he’s not playing well.
“But the fact is, Raya did not perform exceptionally well, the fact that he made mistakes, more mistakes than we thought, but nothing changed.”
Ramsdale’s situation seems unlikely to change in the near future. Therefore, Nicol suggests Ramsdale leave Arsenal as soon as possible if there is an opportunity.
“And actually, if I were Ramsdale, I would request a transfer as soon as possible,” he emphasized.
Competition: Premier League
Venue: Gtech Community Stadium
Date: Sunday, November 26, 2023
Time: 00:30 WIB
English Premier League club Arsenal is reportedly planning to acquire three players in the January 2024 transfer window, a move that could leave AC Milan and Juventus frustrated.
Currently, Arsenal is one of the candidates for the Premier League title in the 2023/24 season, occupying the third position in the standings with 27 points, just one point behind Manchester City in the first position.
Despite their strong position, Arsenal faces competition from Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, and Aston Villa, all of whom have the potential to cause surprises.
A supercomputer specializing in transfers has identified that Arsenal needs reinforcement in three positions: left-back, midfielder, and striker. The club is expected to pursue the signing of the following three players to enhance their chances of winning the Premier League in the 2023/24 season.
Left-Back: Pervis Estupinan from Brighton
Age: 25
Transfer Fee: £30 million
Notable Stats: 7 tackles in 6 games, 1 goal
Estupinan is known for his defensive and attacking capabilities, providing valuable contributions in both areas. The supercomputer suggests that he could be an upgrade over Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Midfielder: Khephren Thuram from Nice
Age: Not specified
Transfer Fee: £35 million
Notable Stats: 14 chances created, 14 clean tackles in 10 games
Thuram is considered a replacement for Declan Rice, offering creativity and defensive skills in midfield. His performances with Nice make him a sought-after player by Juventus.
Striker: Serhou Guirassy from VfB Stuttgart
Age: Not specified
Transfer Fee: £35 million
Notable Stats: 16 chances created, 15 successful points in 9 games
Guirassy is identified as a striker who can bring variety and unpredictability to Arsenal’s attack. AC Milan has also shown interest in him.
The mentioned transfer targets, if successfully acquired, are expected to strengthen Arsenal’s squad and improve their chances of securing the Premier League title in the 2023/24 season.
In other news, the Premier League has reduced points from Everton at a crucial moment due to Financial Fair Play (FFP) violations.
The Premier League has confirmed that Everton has been found guilty of violating Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules. As a result, The Toffees will now drop to 19th place in the standings with four points after the announcement. Everton has been deducted 10 points.
The league’s statement reads: “The Independent Commission has imposed an immediate 10-point deduction on Everton FC for breaches of the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability (PSR) Regulations.
“The Premier League issued a complaint against the Club and referred the case to the Independent Commission earlier this year.
“During the process of the hearing, the Club admitted to breaching the PSR for the period ending Season 2021/22 but the level of its breach was still contested.
Following a five-day hearing last month, the Commission determined that Everton FC’s PSR Calculation for the relevant period resulted in a loss of £124.5 million, as stated by the Premier League, exceeding the threshold of £105 million allowed under the PSR.
“The Commission concluded that a sporting sanction in the form of a 10-point deduction should be imposed.”
Manchester City has been referred to an independent panel in February over allegations of 115 breaches of league rules between 2009 and 2019. The league’s five-year investigation into the club has brought several different charges against them.
The deduction of points for Everton has shifted attention to Manchester City. While the investigation continues, a 10-point deduction indicates that the Premier League is willing to take points away from teams this season if the decision favors Pep Guardiola’s side. This could potentially benefit Arsenal in the race for the title.
However, each case is different, and we continue to wait for the decision.
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