Ruben Neves drops Arsenal transfer bombshell but won't rule out Premier League return after 'sad' collapse

Ruben Neves has revealed that he almost joined Arsenal after leaving Wolves last summer.

Molineux hero Neves spent six years there before moving to Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal as one of the Pro League's first box office additions. Arsenal were one of the clubs interested in the 26 year old, but a deal never materialised. Barcelona and Liverpool also had their eyes on the Portugal international. When asked how close he was to joining one of these clubs from Wolves, Neves revealed Arsenal were well in the running...but it never came to pass.

He told O Jogo: "I was close to three clubs and it ended up not happening, which saddened me and helped me make the decision to go to Al Hilal. I didn't want to mention names, but Barcelona was one of the hottest and it wasn't a lie. It was close to happening, just like with Arsenal. Then there was another club outside England. These were events that accumulated and then, with this golden opportunity, I had no doubts about accepting it. I was tired of transfers that didn't happen."

Last summer, Arsenal spent over £100m on signing Declan Rice from West Ham United, which may have hindered Neves' chances of arriving at the Emirates. Despite not making a move to a big European club, the former Wolves player is still open to the idea in the future. He's under contract until 2026 and believes playing in the Middle East won't stop him from joining a top team later on.

"That's for sure. Playing in Arabia doesn't make me feel any different from my colleagues in Europe. My fitness is fine. I'm well on the way to one day being able to return to Europe and play at the highest level," Neves said.

"But to be honest, I don't think I'll be returning any time soon. If we go down this road, Arabia