Pedro Neto: A look into his play style, injury history & fit at Arsenal

Arsenal fans finally got treated with knowing that Wolves’ Pedro Neto is the “mystery winger” the club has been targeting.

If a deal can be completed, he’d be a very exciting player to add to our mightily talented attacking line. As I wrote about when Arsenal were heavily linked with Raphinha, having six different players that can play a variety of positions and roles in attack is terrifying for opposing defences.

It has been clear for a while that Arsenal needs to add depth to the right-wing position, especially given how much Bukayo Saka has played at this point in his career. The 20-year-old just made his 100th Premier League appearance for the club. His workload needs to be lightened, not only in case of an injury but just to give him rest opportunities. Playing over 2,500 minutes when you’re 19 and 20 is not sustainable, especially when Saka is a player that gets fouled a lot.

Where does transfer target Pedro Neto fit in at Arsenal?

Neto is a perfect fit for this role; he can play from both sides, is left-footed, and is one of the players deemed similar to Bukayo Saka on FBRef. He has not been a huge output player at this point in his career with 11 G/A in the 2020/21 season being his most productive. That season is also the only time in his career he has played over 2,500 minutes. Watching him you can tell that this player is very talented, especially with the ball at his feet, he just tends to make stuff happen.

You also must consider that before Bruno Lage’s arrival, whom he hasn’t played too much under, Neto was playing in a side that typically defended deep and were excellent in transition. And while the winger is superb on the counter, his output would certainly improve in a more possession-oriented side.

There is an element of risk with the 22-year-old, however. Neto just returned from a fractured patella last season, an injury that kept him out of action for ten months. Being a young player that sustained such a major injury I asked Dr Rajpal Brar if there was any cause for concern in the long term:

"“With proper physio, ramping up, & ongoing strength and conditioning – not much. Might have some mild discomfort but long-term concerns are pretty minimal”"

Follow him on Twitter @3cbPerformance!

Another worry with this potential deal is that he has recently signed a new contract until 2027 and Wolves won’t have an incentive to sell quite yet. I am worried that Nottingham Forest’s deal for Morgan Gibbs-White could cause some issues in this transfer. Gibbs-White was sold for £44.5m and Wolves could ask for way more than that for Neto. If the price is anywhere around the £50m figure that we’ve been seeing, I’d take that in a heartbeat.

In summary, Neto would be a fantastic signing. He’s young, versatile, Premier League proven, and exactly the profile we need to get.