Arsenal Transfer News: Ruben Neves Bid Readied, Latest Mauro Icardi Rumours

Arsenal reportedly see Porto’s Ruben Neves as the man to ease their midfield woes in the January transfer window and are reportedly ready to part with £22 million to land the impressive teenager.

That’s according to Daniel Cutts of the Sun, who writes manager Arsene Wenger feels he needs to add some depth to the defensive midfield position after the recent injury to Francis Coquelin and that Neves could “help reignite the Gunners’ faltering title charge.”

Here’s a look at why Neves, just 18 years old, may be viewed as a potential immediate solution for the Gunners in the January window:

Indeed, there’s plenty to like about the Porto man. Stylistically, Neves is a perfect fit for Arsenal, as he possesses the technical qualities needed to move the ball quickly and into the right areas. But it’s his defensive attributes that would really make a difference to the Gunners, especially with the dynamic Coquelin leaving a massive void in the side.

As Arsenal blogger MC noted, the Frenchman is a player who can’t be replaced by current personnel in the group:

Neves would definitely add some depth and quality to this area. While he may be young, the Portuguese has a mature head on his youthful shoulders. Already, he has played at the highest level, starring for Porto in the Champions League, and he’s captained the team too. That’s a remarkable indicator of the teenager’s talent and temperament.

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His outstanding quality was acknowledged recently as well, per Porto’s official Twitter feed:

If Arsenal can get a deal done in January, it’d be a coup. Neves may be untested in the Premier League, but he’d add youth, quality cover and leadership to a squad on which those qualities are pretty scarce. However, with their own ambitions to fulfill in 2016, it’d be a big surprise if Porto were to entertain the prospect of a sale midseason.

Arsenal Eye Mauro Icardi

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Another area of the Arsenal squad that supporters have concerns over is up front, so perhaps it’s little surprise to see the Gunners linked with a move for Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi.

Fichajes (h/t Jamie Sanderson of Metro) claims Arsenal are considering making an offer for the young forward, who has impressed at the San Siro in recent seasons. Wenger is reportedly “convinced Icardi would suit Arsenal’s style of play,” although a hefty transfer fee of £35 million is mentioned.

Icardi is certainly an intriguing player and a fine goalscorer. Here are the kind of moments that will have attracted the attention of clubs such as Arsenal and Chelsea, whom Sanderson also cites as possible suitors:

After a tremendous 2014-15, in which Icardi netted 22 league goals, this term has been a little more of a struggle for him. So far, he’s bagged just four in 11 for Inter, although the Nerazzurri are well in the hunt for the Serie A title this season, with Icardi fulfilling a more disciplined role at the point of the attack.

As we can see here courtesy of OptaPaolo, overall, the Argentina international has been tremendously consistent in front of goal:

Previously, Icardi seemed to cast doubts over a possible move to England, though, per Mediaset (h/t Football Italia): “England? There’s always a lot of talk, but I’ll stay here, as I said last year. I’m also the captain, and I can’t leave a team that’s doing so well.”

For Arsenal, it doesn’t seem like a deal that will come to fruition. Icardi is a key part of an Inter team that spent big in the summer in an attempt to become Serie A challengers once again, and selling their star forward would undo a lot of the recent progress they’ve made. If Wenger wants to bolster his goalscoring options, he’ll most likely have to look elsewhere.