Pedro Neto ‘more likely’ to join Arsenal than Man Utd

Highlights

• Arsenal are expected to have more chance of signing Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Pedro Neto than fellow suitors Manchester United.
• Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, Juventus and Bayern Munich are also among the sides circling for the Portuguese winger ahead of the summer transfer window.
• Respected journalist Ben Jacobs understands that Wolves will not entertain selling Neto unless their lofty financial expectations are met.

Arsenal are ‘more likely’ to win the race for Pedro Neto than Manchester United, but journalist Ben Jacobs has told GIVEMESPORT that boss Mikel Arteta will be forced to contend with hefty demands as he looks to lure the Wolverhampton Wanderers star to the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners recorded a sixth successive Premier League victory when they overcame Newcastle United last weekend, and they have found the back of the net 25 times during that impressive run of form, keeping their hopes of ending their wait for the title very much alive.

Although Arsenal showed plenty of ambition last summer, with Declan Rice becoming their club-record acquisition after completing a £105million switch from West Ham United, Arteta and sporting director Edu are already making plans ahead of the transfer window reopening for business.

Gunners facing major battle to seal Neto’s summer arrival

Arsenal could be made to fork out more than £60million if they want to come out on top in the battle for Neto’s signature, according to the Evening Standard, as Wolves are holding out for a club-record fee after being made aware that Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool are also among his admirers.

The report suggests that the Midlands outfit are not under pressure to sell their Portuguese talisman as he still has more than three years remaining on his £50,000-per-week contract, and they have put themselves in an even stronger negotiating position thanks to recent departures meaning they are not in danger of breaching the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.

Manchester United have also held discussions over potentially pouncing for Neto, while overseas suitors Juventus and Bayern Munich have increased the chances of a bidding war taking place in the summer, but Arsenal will be keen to fight off stiff competition as statistics highlight that he has been showing more creativity than Gabriel Martinelli this season.

Transfer insider Dean Jones recently told GIVEMESPORT that Arsenal are ‘totally convinced’ that Neto would fit seamlessly into Arteta’s plans and become a major success at the Emirates Stadium, making them even more eager to steal a march on other interested parties by upping the ante in their pursuit.

It is understood that the north Londoners sent scouts to watch the winger in action as Wolves suffered a defeat to Brentford earlier this month because they were keen to continue making checks after having him on their radar for an extensive period of time thanks to his impressive performances at Molineux.

But Neto is not agitating for a move away from his current surroundings, which is complicating matters for Arsenal and his additional admirers ahead of the transfer window reopening as it means that Wanderers could succeed in retaining his services heading into the 2024/25 campaign.

Ben Jacobs – Wolves will force Arsenal to spend big on Neto due to inflated market

Although Jacobs believes that Arsenal or arch-rivals Tottenham are more likely to lure Neto away from Wolves than Manchester United, he understands that the 23-year-old’s current employers will not entertain sanctioning his departure unless their lofty demands are met in the summer.

The respected journalist is aware that Wanderers chief Gary O’Neil is unwilling to sell the former Braga man for less than the £53million fee he bagged for offloading Matheus Nunes to Manchester City last year, and inflated transfer fees have resulted in him seeking as much as £70million.

Jacobs told GIVEMESPORT:

“I think that Arsenal and Spurs are more likely destinations for Neto, at this point. We know the Tottenham interest is historical, and I would expect Arsenal to consider Neto this summer as one of a few targets in that position.

“But both of the north London clubs will also be well aware that Wolves – because he is still well contracted – will be looking for a club-record sale.

“They will be very firm on price. You can understand why, in an inflated market, where many attackers and midfielders have gone for in excess of £70million.”

Arteta keeping tabs on Ferguson after earning rave reviews from talent-spotters

Arsenal are monitoring Brighton & Hove Albion striker Evan Ferguson ahead of the summer, according to Football Insider, after he has worked his way onto Arteta’s shortlist of potential acquisitions following the Spanish tactician’s decision to identify multiple options who would be capable of slotting into the starting line-up from the start of next season.

The report suggests that the Republic of Ireland international is rated very highly by talent-spotters at the Emirates Stadium, having found the back of the net six times in the Premier League this season, and they believe he could be a serious threat in the Champions League after already showing plenty of potential during the early stages of his career.

But Arsenal are facing major obstacles in their pursuit as Brighton could demand more than £100million, meaning that Ferguson may usurp Rice as the most expensive acquisition in their history, while London rivals Chelsea are also long-term admirers after he was previously on Tottenham and Manchester United’s radar.

The Seagulls will be under no pressure to lower their financial expectations as the 19-year-old committed his long-term future to the south coast club in November, when he penned a £30,000-per-week contract which has tied him down to the Amex Stadium until the summer of 2029.

Although Arsenal are not solely focused on landing Ferguson as reputable journalist Jones recently told GIVEMESPORT that Arteta is interested in Brentford frontman Ivan Toney, there are doubts over whether they will stump up the cash if the capital club hold out for close to £100million.