Portuguese star Ruben Neves, the midfield maestro of Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal club, has entered the circle of interest of Spain's Real Madrid, as the Royal Club seeks to find radical solutions to the midfield problems that have recently emerged.
Spanish press reports, specifically the newspaper “Sport”, revealed that Neves’ name was seriously put forward at the negotiating table in “Valdebebas”, as an ideal option to address the tactical deficiency that the team is suffering from, which some attribute to the current squad’s lack of a player with the characteristics of a “regista” or rhythm officer.
Searching for Toni Kroos' successor
These moves come as Real Madrid seeks to fill the significant void left by the retirement of German star Toni Kroos and the advancing age of Luka Modric. Despite the team boasting young and promising talents like Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouaméni, the Spanish newspaper explained that these players, despite their immense physical strength and technical ability, lack the tactical vision and control over the tempo of matches that characterized Kroos. This makes Neves the ideal choice to fill this gap, especially after Dani Ceballos failed to establish himself.
Neves and Xabi Alonso... and the artistic vision
Reports have linked Real Madrid's interest to coach Xabi Alonso (a potential future candidate to lead the club, according to the report), as Neves is seen as the missing piece to implement a possession-based, defensively organized style of play. The newspaper cited Neves' impressive performance against Real Madrid while playing for Al-Hilal, referring to their encounter in the Club World Cup, where the Portuguese player proved his worth against the European giants by scoring a goal and skillfully orchestrating the midfield.
Perez's strategy and the free opportunity
From an economic standpoint, the Neves deal aligns with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez's recent policy of acquiring world-class players on free transfers or at low cost as their contracts expire. Neves' contract with Al-Hilal ends at the end of next season, opening the door for a free transfer to the Santiago Bernabeu – a scenario that appeals to the Madrid management, who prefer to wait until the summer rather than engage in a winter bidding war, even though his market value in January could range between 15 and 20 million euros.
Sami Al-Jaber's warnings and the future of the Saudi project
On the other hand, this news sparked concern among Al-Hilal supporters, with club legend Sami Al-Jaber issuing clear warnings. Al-Jaber asserted his belief that Neves still harbors ambitions to return to European football, cautioning the Al-Hilal management against repeating the scenario of losing star players for free.
Al-Jaber said in his statements: “I fear that Neves will move from Al-Hilal to Real Madrid for free when his contract expires. There are clubs in the English Premier League, and Real Madrid as well, who are closely monitoring the situation, and the contracts offered to him are long-term, extending until he reaches 31 years of age.”.
This growing European interest in the stars of the Saudi Professional League (Roshan League) reflects the success of the Saudi sports project in attracting elite players from around the world, but at the same time it poses new challenges for Saudi clubs to maintain their gains and stars in the face of the temptations of returning to the Champions League and the top five leagues.
