Ruben Neves Reveals Close Call with Arsenal and Barcelona Before Joining Al Hilal

Ruben Neves, the former Wolves midfielder, has revealed that he was close to joining Arsenal last summer but grew impatient with the transfer process and decided to make a £47m move to Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal instead. Neves also mentioned that he had the opportunity to sign with Barcelona and another unnamed European club before ultimately accepting a lucrative deal with Al Hilal.

Neves expressed his frustration with the delay in Arsenal's deal and stated that he was tired of waiting. He said, 'I was close to joining three different clubs, which never happened. I got frustrated and decided to join Al Hilal. I didn't want to mention any names, but one of the clubs was Barcelona. I was very close to joining them, same with Arsenal. Then there was another club outside of England. These were events that accumulated and then, with this golden opportunity, I had no doubts in accepting it. I was already hardened by transfers that do not happen.'

Although Neves is interested in returning to England, he clarified that he is not in a rush to leave the Saudi Pro League. He left Wolves for Al Hilal in a £47m deal last summer, signing a three-year contract worth a reported £300,000-per-week. Neves admitted that the financial aspect played a role in his decision, but he also believes that the Saudi Pro League has the potential to become one of the most important leagues in the world within two years.

Neves stated, 'Playing in Saudi Arabia doesn't make me feel any different compared to my colleagues in Europe. My physical ability is great. I'm on track to one day be able to return to Europe and play at the highest level. But, to be honest, I don't plan to return soon. There is no secret: the quality of the players who arrive is very high. If each team bets on eight foreigners of that level, this almost becomes a PlayStation championship, in which we can choose the players as we wish. I think that I will be here in two years and, who knows, even a little longer.'

Currently, Al Hilal is sitting at the top of the table in the Saudi Pro League, seven points clear of Al Nasser. They have won 19 out of their 21 games and have also made notable signings such as Neymar, Aleksandr Mitrovic, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, and Kalidou Koulibaly. Neves's move to Al Hilal has proven to be successful so far, and he is enjoying his time in Saudi Arabia.