Central midfield is perhaps the area where Arsenal most need extra strength in depth, with just four regular first-team players currently in the position. Granit Xhaka, Thomas Partey, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Mohamed Elneny have all played the role for Mikel Arteta this season but given the struggles for form and fitness, extra depth will be required as the Gunners re-enter European football for next season.
The club will have been boosted by the news that Elneny is set for contract talks after impressing in Thomas Partey's absence of late, but another name in the mix for this summer's business is Wolves and Portugal's Ruben Neves. The 25-year-old has quietly gone about his work along with a Wolves side which still could finish seventh, above West Ham, and qualify for the Europa Conference League.
The former Porto man can best be described a deep-lying-playmaker, but akin to Xhaka he possesses an extra edge to his game in the form of defensive contributions as well as a keen eye for a tackle. He has racked up nine yellow cards this season, one more than the famously tenacious Swiss.
Neves also has a keen eye for the spectacular, with a number of special long-distance efforts to his name during his time in the midlands. This is in addition to expert set-piece delivery, an area in which the Gunners have struggled for an established name to rely on.
Having captained Porto in the Champions League at 18, the same year that he made his Portugal debut, he is a player with lots of pedigree who will surely be looking to take his career to the next level this summer after five years at Wolves. With that said, is there a place for Neves in Mikel Arteta's starting XI?
Here, we take a look at how Arsenal could line up next season with Ruben Neves in the side:
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GK: Aaron Ramsdale
RB: Takerhiro Tomiyasu
CB: Ben White
CB: Gabriel
LB: Kieran Tierney
RCM: Ruben Neves
LCM: Granit Xhaka
RM: Bukayo Saka
CAM: Martin Ødegaard
LM: Gabriel Martinelli
ST: Eddie Nketiah
