Arsenal pressing to sign Euro 2020 and Premier League midfielder

Arsenal have made a slow start to their summer spending spree, with the club having only made one signing despite pledges of a £200 million shopping list to rebuild the squad ahead of next season. 

Last term was Arsenal’s worst season in 25 years, as Mikel Arteta’s side failed to qualify for any European competition for the first time in that period.

Left-back Nuno Tavares joined from Benfica for around £7 million last week, the Gunners’ first signing of the summer.

The club has since been linked with a host of different players, with Arteta and technical director Edu allegedly plotting moves for a goalkeeper, central defender, central midfielder and striker.

Brighton’s Ben White, who was unused by England during Euro 2020, has been tipped to join the Gunners after the departure of David Luiz, however no agreement has yet been reached.

In terms of midfielders, it appears that Arteta has already identified his preferred target.

According to The Sun, the North London side are keen on signing Wolves’ Ruben Neves.

The 24-year-old joined the Midlands club in 2017, having previously captained Porto in the Champions League as a teenager.

Neves has made 176 appearances for Wolves since joining the club.

The midfielder was also part of Portugal’s Euro 2020 squad that were eliminated by Belgium.

Current Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka is expected to complete a move to Roma in the coming weeks, and Neves could therefore be recruited as a partner for Thomas Partey.

The report suggests that Neves’ agent, Jorge Mendes, is in regular communication with Edu in an attempt to push through a move.

It is believed that the deal could be worth as much as £35 million, however this price tag could be a stumbling block in negotiations.

Neves still has two years left on his current deal at Molineux, however it is believed that Wolves are keen to raise funds to rebuild their squad and Neves is perceived to be expendable.