The ESPN network revealed that the Portuguese Rúben Neves, a player for Saudi club Al Hilal, was offered to Real Madrid's management during the current January, as the player was seeking a new experience in Europe. However, the royal club decided not to proceed with the deal and rejected the offer made.

On the other hand, the Spanish radio station COPE stated that Real Madrid's decision was due to several considerations, the most prominent being the age factor, along with the club's consistent policy of not signing players during the winter transfer window. The management prefers to focus on long-term planning and completing deals only during the summer transfer periods.

The same sources explained that the technical staff and sports management did not open any negotiation file regarding the player, given their confidence in the current squad and reliance on young talents, in line with the club's sports project for the upcoming phase.

In contrast, reports indicate that Rúben Neves is close to renewing his contract with Al Hilal for an additional three seasons, reflecting both parties' desire to continue their partnership and the player's continuation as a fundamental pillar in the Saudi club's project.

It is noteworthy that the last deal Real Madrid made in January was in 2019 when they signed Brahim Diaz from Manchester City.