Arsenal have been heavily linked with a move for Wolves winger Pedro Neto with just days left in the summer transfer window to complete a deal.
The Gunners have spent over £100million this summer, with technical director Edu securing deals for five first-team players in the form of Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fabio Vieira, Matt Turner, Gabriel Jesus and Marquinhos. Mikel Arteta has made it clear to the club that he wants to bring in at least one more player before the transfer deadline on Thursday.
Nicolas Pepe's departure has put increase pressure on the need to sign a new forward that can offer competition for places with Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli. With that being said, football.london takes a look at all the latest speculation on the 22-year-old attacker's potential move to the Emirates Stadium.
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Arsenal hope
Arsenal had hoped to bring in Pedro Neto following Nicolas Pepe’s departure but the move is now looking highly improbable.
Wolverhampton Wanderers reluctant to sell this summer and the level of fee that might persuade them otherwise looking unrealistic for Mikel Arteta’s side.
Read more here.
Edu hint
There have been some suggestions that Arsenal cannot afford a deal for Neto, with The Athletic even questioning whether or not the north London club can afford another big-money transfer given their FFP concerns.
However, the fact that the club were willing to pay a similar fee for winger Raphinha, who eventually joined Catalan giants Barcelona instead, earlier this summer indicates that technical director Edu still has money to spend if the deal is worth it.
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Major blow
According to a report from O’Jogo, Arsenal have 'no chance' of rising Neto away from Wolves this summer, with Bruno Lage's side extremely keen to keep the 22-year-old at the club for at least one more season. It is said that the chance of Neto completing a move this summer 'is almost nil'.
Lage speaks out
Wolves boss Bruno Lage has spoken out about the reported interest in Neto, claiming that his side are yet to receive any official proposals for the young wideman. Speaking after his side defeated Preston North End 2-1 in the Carabao Cup, he said, via Birmingham Live: "I have heard that but nothing has come to us.
“It’s normal now, with the good players that we have. Teams are looking for good players in the same way we are looking for (Goncalo) Guedes, Matheus (Nunes), (Nathan) Collins.
"No one told me anything about any proposal.”
Player's stance
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has reported that Neto is extremely keen on a move to the Emirates Stadium, although the player won't force his way out of Molineux. "Neto would be really tempted by Arsenal," explained Romano on his 'Here We Go' podcast.
"I am told the player is another factor in this story. He is not forcing anything, as of now, but he will be keen to move to Arsenal."
Arteta verdict
Romano has also claimed that both Arteta and technical director Edu are huge fans of Neto, describing him as the perfect player for the Gunners. Speaking on the Que Golazo Podcast, Romano said: “They will sign other players, I think Arteta has been clear on that.
"They are still short he said. A new winger has always been the priority, they submitted a bid for Raphinha before he joined Barcelona.
"Now for Pedro Neto, he is the priority he is super appreciated by Edu, the same with Mikel Arteta, they consider him a kind of perfect player for the idea of football they are having, it has already been discussed internally."
Man United 'offer'
Manchester United have been offered the chance to sign Arsenal target Pedro Neto, according to TalkSPORT. The player's agent, Jorge Mendes, is said to have fielded several discussions over a potential exit for the Portuguese winger before the end of the transfer window.
True value
While Wolves have set a £50million asking price, that may be somewhat inflated over what his apparent "true" market value might be. That's because, according to CIES football observatory, his current transfer value should be set at €30million (£25million).
Asking price
Wolves have set an asking price of £50million for winger Neto this summer, according to Sun journalist Daniel Cutts. That, however, appears to be more than the Gunners anticipated by £15million.
Writing on Twitter, he said: "#AFC want to pay £35m, Wolves want around £50m. No official bid yet, but Mikel Arteta a huge fan of the winger."
Neto talks
The Athletic reports that Pedro Neto is a transfer priority for Arsenal this summer as they eye a new addition on the wing before the close of the window. The report claims that discussions have been held over the past month, however a deal isn't easy as Wolves don't plan to sell the forward and the Gunners aren't planning on spending excessively - with over £100million already splashed on new signings.
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