Fabrizio Romano names ‘dream’ Arsenal target as Arteta and Edu discuss two options

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Fabrizio Romano has discussed where Arsenal stand in their chase for both Ruben Neves and Douglas Luiz.

Arsenal are keen to sign a midfielder in the upcoming January transfer window, with a mind towards replacing Thomas Partey. According to Sport, Mikel Arteta has urged the Arsenal board to launch a move for Ruben Dias. Meanwhile, Arsenal remain keen on Douglas Luiz, as per The Standard.

Transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has now shared his insight into both situations as they stand. As quoted by CaughtOffside, he said, “Ruben Neves continues to be linked with Arsenal, and I think these stories come from the fact that Mikel Arteta has always been a big fan of the player. He has always appreciated him, since he was at Wolves, and his name has come up a few times in recent years whenever Arteta had discussions about targets with Arsenal director Edu.”

“I think that’s why there are these links, but at the moment there are no negotiations, and in fact the dream target for Arsenal in midfield is Douglas Luiz. It’s a complicated deal, though…he’s Arsenal’s dream target – they see him as a perfect midfielder with a big future, but unless they are able to come in with a very big package of money, it’s going to be very difficult for them to get this deal done.”

Aston Villa are certainly reluctant to let Luiz go. The Brazilian is a star player for the Midlands outfit and they would find him difficult to replace.

Arteta is a long-time admirer of the 25-year-old. The Gunners had a £25 million bid for the player rejected in the summer of 2022. The ten-cap Brazil international’s value will only have increased since then.

Neves would also be unlikely to come cheap. He only joined Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal for £47 million in the recent summer transfer window. Journalist David Ornstein has recently admitted that he expects Neves to stay put this winter.

Arteta and sporting director Edu will be well aware that signing either player will be a challenge. It seems they aren’t willing to admit defeat yet, though.

Should Arsenal sign Ruben Neves or Douglas Luiz?

Arsenal will only have a limited budget to work with this winter. They will have to push hard and be smart if they are going to get any major deals done. They may also have to consider selling some players in order to fund moves for new arrivals. 

When it comes to Luiz and Neves, it is certainly a case of one or the other, rather than both. The Gunners must make their choice and go all out in an effort to get a deal done. Based on Romano’s information, it seems Luiz is currently considered the primary target. 

That would make sense, as the Aston Villa man has been in fine form in the Premier League this season, whereas Neves has been competing at a significantly lower standard so far this season, though the former Wolves man has shown that he can shine in the English top flight before. 

If they can convince the Villans to come to the negotiation table, Arsenal must focus on trying to get a deal done for Luiz first. However, Neves is an excellent back up option to have.