Arsenal may not be completely finished with their transfer business, as a move for a winger could still happen in this window according to Fabrizio Romano.
Following the departure of Nicolas Pepe on loan to Nice, Mikel Arteta’s side are still hunting for a winger to compete with Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli for a first-team spot, and have been strongly linked with Pedro Neto of Wolves and Yeremy Pino of Villarreal.
Expect Late Transfer Moves from Arsenal for Pedro Neto and Yeremy Pino
Arsenal To Strike Late for a Winger
Fabrizio Romano’s latest information suggests that Arteta and Edu Gaspar will make a move for a winger before the transfer deadline on Thursday September 1, but admits that the Gunners have ‘left it late.’
Neto and Pino are seemingly the two main targets, but there are currently no talks for the Villarreal winger, whilst a deal for Neto remains ‘difficult,’ as Wolves have set an asking price of over £50 million.
Pedro Neto as a Pepe Replacement?
The departure of Pepe has freed up space in the squad and on the wage bill for another winger to come in, and Neto looks a much more suitable fit for Arteta’s possession-based style than the Ivorian winger.
Comfortable on both sides and a technical wizard with the ball, the Portuguese winger has made a successful return from a long-term injury and is often the star attacker for Bruno Lage’s side.
The 22-year-old already has 77 Premier League matches under his belt, with nine goals and 10 assists in that time, and his vast potential is what makes him so attractive to Arsenal.
Their latest recruitment policy seems to focus on younger players, as Arteta has built the youngest side in the league through signings such as Ben White, Martin Odegaard, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Gabriel Jesus in recent years, and Neto would fit straight into the side in terms of profile.
Given the Portuguese-speaking influences on the Arsenal team through Brazilians Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Magalhaes and Gabriel Martinelli, and Portuguese players Fabio Vieira and Cedric Soares, Neto would have no trouble settling in at The Emirates and previously spoke about his admiration for Arsenal.
Read More: Every Premier League Transfer Completed in Summer 2022
Yeremy Pino as an Option
The 19-year-old Spaniard has been the talk of the town at Villarreal since his stunning breakthrough into the team in 2021.
His efforts haven’t gone unnoticed, as Luis Enrique has already handed him senior Spain caps, and is attracting interest from clubs such as Arsenal after such a meteoric rise, from the Villarreal C team to a regular starter under former Arsenal boss Unai Emery.
Pino opened the scoring in Villarreal’s stunning 2-0 away win at Atletico Madrid (Emery’s first ever victory over Diego Simeone) and the winger would be a fine addition to this young Arsenal side should they fail to land Neto.
Predominantly a right-winger, Pino can play across the front line, and his sheer pace and skill make him such an important asset to Villarreal when setting up to counter-attack.
Yeremy is also quickly becoming a strong goal threat, with six goals and four assists in La Liga last season as a teenager which will surely be bettered in the upcoming campaign, and should he arrive at Arsenal, he would provide strong competition for Saka and Martinelli on the wings in the short and long run.
What a Team 🙏🏻✨. Already focus on the next one 🐺 pic.twitter.com/VhM8EyBJZj
— Pedro Neto (@pedrolneto7) August 7, 2022
