Arsenal now willing to pay £35m to sign ‘outstanding’ player before deadline day – journalist.
Arsenal have identified Wolves winger Pedro Neto as their next summer target and are willing to pay £35 million for the Portuguese.
According to journalist Daniel Cutts, Arsenal has already held preliminary talks about a transfer.
However, Cutts believes Arsenal are around £15m away from Wolves’ valuation for the winger, and would require £50m to let him go this summer.
Arsenal have already held initial talks over a move for Pedro Neto. #AFC want to pay £35m, Wolves want around £50m. No official bid yet, but Mikel Arteta a huge fan of the winger.
— Daniel Cutts (@Journo_Slash) August 22, 2022
Pedro Neto has started all three of Wolves’ Premier League games so far this season.
The 22-year-old has yet to score or assist, and his team has struggled so far, picking up just one point.
Arsenal are willing to pay £35m for Neto
In contrast to Wolves’ start to the season, Arsenal are currently top of the Premier League after three straight wins.
Mikel Arteta has already come up with a winning formula, and has yet to make a single change to his starting line-up across any of Arsenal’s first three games.
Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka have occupied the wide positions up to this point and have been fantastic.
Eddie Nketiah and Emile Smith Rowe have been used off the bench to replace the two wingers so far this season, but playing out wide isn’t their favoured role.
Bringing in Neto, who is comfortable on either wing, would give Arteta a much more natural option out wide.
Speaking on Sky Sports back on September 25th 2021, Tim Sherwood called Neto a ‘really outstanding player, and the young forward was one of Wolves’ best players in the 2020/21 season.
However, he suffered an awful knee injury towards the end of the season against Fulham that kept him out for ten months.
He returned in February this year and has shown glimpses of his past form, however, the attacking players around him have also struggled in that time.
Arsenal have already started talks with Neto’s agent as they explore a possible move.
And in an interview, Neto actually revealed that he was a Gunners fan.
The Gunners also look set to let one of their wide players go this summer, with Arteta suggesting that Nicolas Pepe could leave on loan, with Nice interested in his services.
With Arsenal’s squad nearly looking complete, Neto could be the final piece in the puzzle as Arteta looks to guide his side back to the Champions League.