Arsenal might have to start looking for other players to replace Pedro Neto, as it seems less likely that the winger will move in the summer transfer window.
The transfer window for this summer is still open until 11 p.m. on Thursday, September 1, but it seems less likely that Wolves winger Pedro Neto will be signed by Arsenal.
Before the end of July, deals were made to bring in Marquinhos, Fabio Vieira, Matt Turner, Gabriel Jesus, and Oleksandr Zinchenko. Since then, there has been a lot less talk about possible new players joining the Gunners, as manager Mikel Arteta and Edu have decided to focus on selling players instead.
But last week, it was revealed that Neto was the “mystery winger” that Arsenal’s technical director had been looking for for the past month. After Nicolas Pepe went on loan to OGC Nice, plans to replace the Ivory Coast international became public, but time is running out to complete the mission.
“If the plan we have can be carried out, we will try to do it. In that plan, Pepe’s leaving was something that could happen, “Arteta told reporters. “Now it’s a fact, and for the last two months we’ve been getting ready to get what we want. We’ll see if that’s possible or not.”
Football.london was told that Wolves would want more than £50 million for Neto and that there was a small chance of a transfer this summer, but only on Wolves’ terms. However, according to the most recent reports from The Athletic, a deal to bring the winger to the Emirates Stadium before the deadline is becoming less likely.
So, with the Portugal international likely to stay at Molineux Stadium, Arteta and Edu will have to move quickly and decisively to improve the first-team squad before the summer transfer window closes. Links to Neto and past interest in Raphinha show that they want to add another forward to the ranks.
The reason the Gunners are interested in Neto is that he has played in the Premier League before. He is 25 or younger and can play on both sides, which means he could have backed up Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, who seem to be the first-choice options right now, and given them competition.
Some fans want to sign Wilfried Zaha from Crystal Palace, while Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven or Real Madrid star Marco Asensio is being talked about again.
Even though some of the answers might be right in front of Arteta, Emile Smith Rowe can play on both wings, and Fabio Vieira’s versatility has been talked about a lot since he came from Porto because he can play on the wing or in the middle of the field.
When asked what position he thought the 22-year-old would play, Arteta told football.london, “We’re already trying him out in different spots in training.” “He’s played on the left, the right, as a false nine, and as an attacking midfielder, so that’s good. Because he’s so used to moving around, he doesn’t want to be stuck in one place, which is great for us.”
Fellow summer signing Marquinhos has already done well for the U21s, and he won’t be going out on loan for the first half of the season. Depending on how his development goes, he could be another way for the Gunners to solve a problem from within, which could save them a lot of money.
Reiss Nelson seems to have healed from his injury faster than expected, which could help him if no new players come into the forward line. He had a good season on loan with Feyenoord and was thought to be Pepe’s replacement after scoring in a preseason game in Orlando City.
Beyond those six players, Arteta might not want to ask Gabriel Jesus and Zinchenko to play on the wings, but both have done so in the past, with the Brazilian doing it more recently as a right winger for Manchester City under Pep Guardiola. This gives Arsenal eight internal options if a deal for Neto can’t be made.
