Ruben Neves makes Real Madrid decision: Deal announced after Saudi upheaval

Rumoured Real Madrid target Ruben Neves has given the Saudi Pro League a much-needed reprieve by signing a new Al-Hilal contract.

The Portugal international turned down the Riyadh giants’ initial contract offer in late 2025, which prompted his representatives to sound out European opportunities for January.

Neves was offered to various clubs, including Man Utd and Real Madrid. However, discussions with the former came to a halt when Ruben Amorim, who was in favour of signing his compatriot, was sacked.

Real Madrid continued to be linked with a potential move as they are understood to be planning something of a midfield revamp in 2026. Neves was thought to be one of the names under consideration, along with PSG star Vitinha and various Premier League players.

However, the 28-year-old has now, somewhat surprisingly, decided to extend his stay in the Middle East. Al-Hilal have announced that Neves has penned a new contract until 2029, following an improved offer from the club.

Neves deal a big victory for Saudi

The announcement of Neves’ contract has come at the perfect time as far as senior Saudi figures are concerned. The Pro League is currently riven by tension with its biggest stars.

N’Golo Kante refused to train on Tuesday to force through a transfer to Fenerbahce after a Deadline Day move collapsed on Monday because his club Al-Ittihad had submitted erroneous paperwork for the signing of Youssef En-Nesyri from the Istanbul club.

Despite FIFA initially rejecting an appeal from the clubs, the transfer for En-Nesyri was ultimately greenlit on Tuesday night after Kante had his contract terminated to allow him to move to Turkey.

Kante’s exit from the Jeddah club came just a day after Karim Benzema departed for Neves’ club Al-Hilal following a contract dispute. Al-Ittihad had upset the Frenchman by offering him a new contract solely consisting of image rights revenue and no actual salary.

Benzema’s move to Al-Hilal has sparked drama at city rivals Al-Nassr, where Cristiano Ronaldo, the Pro League’s biggest star, feels that the Public Investment Fund (PIF) is giving preferential treatment to its other clubs.

As a result, Ronaldo declared himself unavailable for Al-Nassr’s game against Al-Riyadh on Monday, leaving his future at the club uncertain. Bizarrely, though, the PIF did not fund Benzema’s move.

It was instead paid for by a private billionaire investor, precisely because the PIF refused to make extra funding available to ensure fair competition. Al-Nassr could also have signed Benzema had they managed to procure the necessary money.

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