Exclusive: Tottenham join hunt for Arsenal, Newcastle target eager to escape Saudi nightmare

Ruben Neves is hopeful of a return to the English Premier League in January and the door is open for him to make a six-month loan move in the coming weeks, TEAMtalk can reveal.

The former Wolves midfielder has only been at Al-Hilal since June but could return to the UK only six months after his £47million move to Saudi Arabia.

An early exit could see the Portugal midfielder miss out on lucrative add-ons and loyalty bonuses written in to his £300k-per week-contract.
Sources say that Newcastle are extremely keen to do a deal in the winter window but are awaiting the outcome of a vote by clubs which could block affiliate organisations conducting business with one another.

Should that verdict dampen Newcastle’s prospects, then the transfre door will open for Arsenal, Tottenham or even AC Milan to pounce, with the trio also extremely keen on the central midfielder.

Tottenham’s need for Neves emerges with Ange Postecoglou facing the prospect of losing Pape Sarr and Yves Bissouma for up to six weeks at the start of the year to participate in the African Cup of Nations.

The club are also battling to retain the services of Danish star Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who is keen to move on. The exit of the former Southampton player, coupled with his first-choice pair heading to AFCON, could leave Spurs having to navigate a busy winter period with just Oliver Skipp and Rodrigo Bentacur to call upon in central midfielder.

Therefore, a possible move for Neves ticks plenty of boxes for the Tottenham hierarchy.

A move for the player, however, come as a shock to some observers, especially considering he only moved to Middle East six months ago, but the Portuguese is one of a number of new players struggling to adapt to life in the Gulf State.

And there could see yet be some other of the big names who left Europe to join the Saudi revolution return just months after they left. Summer 2024 is likely to see a high turnover of players as some seek a return to Europe and the Champions League.

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Ruben Neves set to lead Saudi Arabia exodus

There will be an opportunity to negotiate and an option to buy in any loan deal for Neves and Al-Hilal will be seeking a fee of around £60million.

For some formerly UK-based players, moving to Saudi Arabia has come as a culture shock and the isolation has been a major challenge for some who have moved recently.

SPL chiefs could be challenged by that when attempting to build a league capable of battling the world’s greatest and there is a genuine fear from sources of a revolving door with many coming and going in a short period of time.

Sources say Neves is one intent on a move in the winter window, but his exit would potentially open the door for others who are struggling to adapt to life in Saudi Arabia.

Spanish midfielder Gabri Veiga is another one to watch as many top European clubs are keen to test the waters for the 21-year-old, who shocked many when he chose to move to Al-Ahli last summer despite interest from the likes of Chelsea and Barcelona.

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