The identity of Arsenal's 'mystery winger' transfer target has finally been revealed with the club hopeful of a deal for Wolves' Pedro Neto.
According to The Athletic, the Gunners have been in talks with their Premier League rivals for over a month now and super agent Jorge Mendes, who represents the Portuguese wide-man, is said to be central to discussions regarding a potential deal ahead of deadline day next month.
In addition, the report states that Arsenal could face some difficulty completing the signing of Neto as Bruno Lage's side are unwilling to let the 22-year-old leave and that might force manager Mikel Arteta and technical director Edu into seeking alternatives before the transfer window closes.
READ MORE: The divisive Arsenal transfer strategy to land Pedro Neto has already secured £34million deal
Now, Neto emerging as a target for Arsenal certainly fits with the new transfer policy since Arteta's arrival in December 2019 as the average age of the squad was brought down from 26.5 to just 24.5 at the start of last season with Edu explaining to football.london that this ruthless evolution has been an essential part of his revolution in North London.
"For me there are three elements which in my role I have to be really prepared to be strong on the message to the players," he said. "When the player is 26-plus, (with a) big salary and he’s not performing, he’s killing you that kind of player because you don’t have a valuation to sell the player. The player is comfortable – Arsenal, London, beautiful, everything is fantastic – and a good salary. How do you move this player?
"So how many players with that kind of characteristics did we have in the past? 80 per cent of the squad, that’s why I said to (the board) when I made my plan: guys, it’s not easy to clean the squad straight away because most of the players have a 2-3-4 year contract. We need a strategy, we need to try to change things."
WHAT DO YOU THINK? LET US KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS IN THE COMMENTS.
With Arsenal's transfer policy clearly set in stone, there is a debate to be had as to whether the club should stick or twist in the remaining days of the transfer window with regards to signing a winger. Should Arteta and Edu continue with the strategy of bringing in players under the age of 25 or make an exception for a more experienced option such as Wilfried Zaha?
To provide the pair with some assistance for what could be a crucial transfer decision, football.london's Gunners writers Kaya Kaynak, Tashan Deniran-Alleyne, Bailey Keogh and Tom Canton run the rule over what they would do.
Kaya Kaynak - Arsenal Writer
Edu has been very clear that Arsenal's transfer policy is to try and sign players under 25 and the reasons for that are clear.
Firstly it provides players who are hungry to prove themselves under Mikel Arteta, but more importantly, as he explained during an interview with football.london it increases their value if Arsenal then look to sell them.
Yes, Wilfried Zaha is a great player and would probably improve the Gunners squad over the next couple of years, but at 29-years-of-age his value will start to decline very soon.
We've criticised Arsenal for not being smart in the transfer market before, but going for a Pedro Neto over the Ivorian would be a very clever move.
Tashan Deniran-Alleyne - Arsenal Writer
Deals for Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko this summer make this decision easy for me. Having seen the pair immediately hit the ground running after joining from Manchester City vindicates Arteta and Edu's approach to target proven Premier League quality amid the links to Pedro Neto.
However, I'm not convinced Arsenal need another project-type signing. With Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Emile Smith Rowe all aged either 22 or younger, what they need is a more experienced head to compete with, someone to ease the pressure on their shoulders and someone they can learn from.
Furthermore, the Gunners need more goals from the forward line. Neto, whilst an exciting talent, prior to suffering an ACL injury his best return for goals was five in the Premier League and I've not seen anything that suggests he is capable of reaching double figures and that's what this team is desperately is crying out for.
So for this reason, I think Arteta and Edu should twist on their transfer strategy and go all out for Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha. Yes, he's soon approaching 30 but the immediate impact he would have on the team means it would be a perfect signing and for a £25m fee that has been suggested, it's a deal the Gunners should at least consider.
Tom Canton - The Arsenal Way Writer
To even question a slight deviation from Arsenal’s current recruitment policy might seem like madness, and for good reason. The business done by the club in the past 24 months-plus has been nothing short of excellent. Seeing the club aim toward the highest heights again and target players of true quality and Premier League experience has been very encouraging.
However, there is still scope to add players above the 25-year-old threshold successfully. Take Wilfried Zaha, on a potentially cheaper deal thanks to his contract expiring in 2023, a short-term deal could give Arsenal a brilliant asset to their attack. Look to Liverpool with the signing of Thiago Alcantara or Man City with Riyad Mahrez.
Two players well above 25 and the sides have benefitted from their established quality who have won titles at the top level and gone on to win more with their new sides. The key is ensuring the profile is right and making sure the finances do not break the model.
I would use Casemiro at Manchester United as an example, although what model he would be breaking is something of a mystery. If anything, this is an example of an overinflated deal that benefits the player more than the club, similar to Willian’s Arsenal deal. The Gunners can and should do it, but it must be well measured.
Bailey Keogh - The Arsenal Way Writer
Arsenal’s transfer policy has been spot on over the last couple of seasons as Edu has made signings that has helped Mikel Arteta progress in his rebuild process. And the transfer strategy can be enhanced by twisting some methods and evolving.
The Gunners have already created a strong foundation over the last couple of windows, which has meant Arteta is now in the best position to qualify for the Champions League. For Arsenal to get to the next level, Premier League proven players should be the next target rather than a continuation of signing youngsters with potential, as that would not improve the current squad.
For instance, Wilfried Zaha would be a more useful signing than Neto because the 29-year-old Ivorian international will make an instant impact on the team and can help to improve Arsenal in a shorter time frame than it would likely take Neto. Arteta is already equipped with a number of youngsters in the team with top potential, now it is time to mix these promising players with proven players who are still at the top of their game rather than on the decline.
Bending the rules and evolving the transfer strategy according to the team’s status is important. Edu would be evolving by deciding to sign Zaha instead of Neto.
Be sure to let the writers your thoughts by leaving a comment on if Arsenal should sign Pedro Neto or pursue another target
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