Arsenal are yet to find the solution to their midfield conundrum this summer as several different targets have been linked.
Mikel Arteta is on the verge of completing his ideal Arsenal midfield three, as he looks to add an option who can complement Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard.
Rice’s ability to play both at the base of midfield as well as further forward raises the question of what kind of midfield profile Arsenal should target, but with the side ending the second half of the season with 16 wins from 18 league games with Rice in an advanced role, a player who can sit behind him may be ideal.
Jorginho was superb at times in this run, and has extended his contract by a year. However, the veteran cannot play every week, and despite his quality on the ball, his limitations off it means that the long-term solution has to be mobile enough to cover the ground he cannot.
One signing which has been mooted is a £100m move for Benfica starlet Joao Neves. This seems like a huge risk given the price tag for a 19-year-old in the Portuguese League, but there is plenty to be gained from a gamble on him.
Arsenal target Joao Neves delivers masterclass on full Portugal debut
Neves is an all-action midfielder who can play both at the base of midfield, as well as further forward in the midfield three, making him the ideal profile who can interchange positions with Rice.
After a few substitute appearances, Neves made his full Portugal debut in a friendly victory against Finland, ahead of his side’s European Championship campaign.
Portugal won 4-2, with Neves playing the entire 90 minutes, and he delivered a masterclass performance which could put him in contention for a starting spot ahead of some of Europe’s finest midfielders.
Neves was secure on the ball in the middle, completing 97 of his 101 attempted passes, with 15 of these finding a teammate in the final third.
He completed five of his seven attempted long balls, and Arteta will have watched on with glee as he won all seven of his attempted ground duels, proving to be an unbeatable force.
Joao Neves praised for Portugal display
Speaking after the game, Portugal manager Roberto Martinez highlighted the maturity behind Neves’ performance as his age and inexperience did not show at all.
“We saw two players at a very good time, good personality, work very well in the collective, they have energy and their age is not the football age, they have great maturity and will be important,” Martinez stated of the performances of Neves and winger Chico Conceicao.
The Portuguese press were also impressed with Neves, as Goalpoint Portugal praised the partnership between Neves and Paris Saint-Germain star Vitinha in the midfield.
“It seemed that Joao Neves and Vitinha had been playing together for years, such an understanding between the two. The Benfiquista missed only four of 101 passes, completed three dribble attempts and recorded three defensive actions in the opposing midfield,” they stated.
Why Joao Neves’ Portugal display shows he should be Arteta’s key target
Neves has now shown that he is capable of performing at a high level alongside more experienced players, and did not cower or look out of place at all in an International fixture.
His ability to recycle the ball and dictate the game can replicate what Jorginho brings, but his ability to win tackles at a remarkable success rate shows that off the ball, he is an upgrade on the Italian veteran.
The price tag is steep, but Neves is a player on an upward trajectory, and given his age, whoever signs him now could potentially be signing a starter for the best part of a decade.
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Should he continue on his current trajectory, Neves will eventually become worth a lot more than his £100m release clause, and he has all the tools in his locker to be moulded into a world-class midfielder by Arteta.