Arsenal Transfers: Gunners handed boost in potential Pedro Neto pursuit

BENIDORM, SPAIN - JULY 20: Pedro Neto of Wolverhampton Wanderer looks on during a pre-season friendly match between Deportivo Alaves and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Estadio Camilo Cano on July 20, 2022 in Benidorm, Spain. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)
BENIDORM, SPAIN - JULY 20: Pedro Neto of Wolverhampton Wanderer looks on during a pre-season friendly match between Deportivo Alaves and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Estadio Camilo Cano on July 20, 2022 in Benidorm, Spain. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images) /
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Arsenal reportedly hold an interest in Pedro Neto and their chances of landing the Portuguese star were handed a boost after Wolves agreed a deal with Valencia for Goncalo Guedes.

Mikel Arteta hinted that the Gunners weren’t done in the transfer market after his side beat Crystal Palace on the opening night of the Premier League season. The club have already signed five players this summer, including Manchester City tandem Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko.

The belief is that players will have to depart before there are any more incomings. However, if the likes of Lucas Torreira, Pablo Mari and Hector Bellerin are taken off the club’s books, then we could see moves for a central midfielder and a winger.

That winger could either be Moussa Diaby or Pedro Neto.

Arsenal interested in Wolves winger Pedro Neto & pursuit handed boost

https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1556463477237202945

According to both Football London and the Daily Express (via TeamTalk), Arsenal have a long-standing interest in Wolves winger Neto.

The 22-year-old missed much of last season due to a long-term knee injury but he’s since returned to full fitness and he was in action on Saturday as Wolves fell to a 2-1 defeat at Leeds. Neto impressed many with his 11 Premier League goal contributions during the 2020/21 season, but some have questioned whether the winger’s ceiling has dropped somewhat after sustaining such a major injury.

He’s a player Wolves will undoubtedly want to keep, but their pursuit of Valencia winger Goncalo Guedes suggests they might be preparing for life without him. Fabrizio Romano reported in the early hours of Monday morning that Guedes was set to undergo a medical at Wolves this week after Valencia accepted a €32m bid for his services.

This big-money purchase could facilitate Neto’s departure, and Arsenal may well swoop. Despite his injury, Neto’s youth and talent mean it’d take a monster fee to prise the Portuguese winger away from Molineux.