Portuguese midfielder Ruben Neves of Al Hilal has sparked widespread controversy within the club and among fans after requesting additional time to respond to the renewal offer presented by the management, creating concern about his future with the team.

Al Hilal's management has made great efforts recently to finalize renewal agreements, successfully extending the contracts of Yassine Bounou, Sergej Savić, and Hamad Al-Yami, before turning their attention to the Neves file, considering him one of the team's key pillars.

The Blue management opened negotiations with the player to renew his contract, which expires at the end of the current season in summer 2026. However, press reports confirmed that Neves has not yet made a decision and prefers to give himself some time to think.

Media sources have reported a possible desire from Neves to return to the English Premier League, amid clear interest from Manchester United and Newcastle, which heightened the concerns of Al-Hilal fans ahead of their recent match against Al-Fateh.

The correspondent for "Thamaniya" channel pointed out that the public concern is genuine, but he confirmed that Neves did not reject Al-Hilal's offer, and that the strong relationship between the two parties encourages optimism about reaching an agreement in the near future.

Rúben Neves joined Al-Hilal in the summer of 2023, coming from Wolverhampton. Since his arrival, he has played 104 matches across all competitions, scoring 12 goals and providing 25 assists, highlighting his significant technical value within the team.