According to Football Transfers, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta would prefer to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Pedro Neto over Brentford striker Ivan Toney in January.
The London giants have made a fine start to the top-flight campaign and they have accumulated 20 points from a possible 24. This sees them second behind Spurs on goals scored and they will be aiming to carry the momentum until January where they will have the opportunity to reinforce their squad.
Toney’s name has been constantly linked with Arsenal over the past few weeks, but Football Transfers claim that Arteta would prefer to sign Neto to ease the workload on Bukayo Saka. Saka recently suffered a series of knocks and he was eventually ruled out of the Premier League win over Manchester City.
Good choice
There has been much focus on where Toney could go next. Arsenal are mentioned as his admirers but a mid-season deal could be difficult to pull off. The striker could cost as much as £80 million in the next transfer window and Arsenal could face serious competition from London rivals Chelsea for him.
Instead of entering into a bidding war, Arteta may prefer to focus on a deal for Neto instead. Arsenal strengthened their left wing last winter with Leandro Trossard’s arrival and they could do something similar on the right flank with Neto. The Portuguese has had a fantastic start to the season with 1 goal and 5 assists.
He has finally got over his long-term injury issues and could be a good piece of signing for Arsenal, who have sometimes been over-reliant on Saka on the right wing. The club graduate has delivered with regular goals and assists, but he needs to be managed more cautiously to avoid the prospect of potential injuries.
Wolves were said to value Neto in the region of £50 million last summer and they could hold out for something similar. The Midlands outfit have had financial troubles which has contributed to their limited transfer spending. They are unlikely to turn down a lucrative transfer offer on the table from the Gunners for Neto.
