Arsenal handed first rejection, Premier League midfielder turns them down

As Arsenal plan a gargantuan summer rebuild, Mikel Arteta has a big shortlist of players who he would like to sign. One of the traits which has made the club a killer in the transfer window in recent years is their ability to come back from adversity, they did so when Mykhailo Mudryk joined Chelsea (instead they signed Leandro Trossard) and they did so when Lisandro Martinez joined Manchester United (instead they signed Oleksandr Zinchenko).

Well, Arsenal fans must now hope that Edu can pull off a similar masterclass, as they’ve faced their first rejection of the summer transfer window already.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves has rejected a deal from Arsenal, as the Portuguese midfielder plans to sign for Barcelona instead. He is just waiting for the Catalan giants to make a bid for him.

Luckily for Arsenal fans, being rejected by Ruben Neves isn’t the end of the world. Yes, Mikel Arteta does need to sign multiple midfielders this summer, but Neves was always towards the bottom of the shortlist anyway.

Instead, the Gunners will look to sign Declan Rice, Ilkay Gundogan and James Maddison. These three options are much better as they all fit the mould of a Mikel Arteta type player better than Neves does.

Being turned down by a player is never easy, but there’s still hope for Arsenal should it come to the last resort. Barcelona aren’t a threat in this transfer window given their impending financial doom, therefore whether they actually have the means to come up with a package to sign Neves remains to be seen.

So, it’s not the end of the world. Arsenal must take it on the chin and look at their other options.

Who would you like to see Arsenal sign in the summer transfer window?