Arsenal remain interested in signing Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Pedro Neto, according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein.
The Portugal international has been in fantastic form for Wolves this term, registering three goals and 11 assists from 21 appearances.
The Gunners are one of his long-term admirers and in a Q&A session, Ornstein has acknowledged that there is still interest from them.
However, the reputed journalist added that he is not the only option while the club are unlikely to pay the asking price set by Wolves (£80 million).
Ornstein describes Neto as a ‘brilliant’ player, but one who does not have a great injury record.
He said: “Neto remains of interest but he is not the only option and it is unlikely Arsenal will pay what I understand to be Wolves’ asking price (£80m) for a brilliant player and character but one who does not have a great injury record.”
Arsenal unlikely to overpay for injury-prone Neto
Neto has had a fine campaign for Wolves with 14 goal involvements, but he has also missed two months of action in between with a hamstring injury.
This has been a concern throughout his playing career. The former Braga man has missed almost 90 games for Wolves since his switch in 2019.
Neto is currently contracted until June 2027 which puts Wolves in a strong position to negotiate, but teams may resist overpaying for his services.
His injury proneness could hamper his transfer value. Arsenal are more likely to prioritise a marquee striker and a quality midfielder in the summer.
In case of a wide attacking player, they may not pay over the odds, considering Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are nailed-on starters at the moment.
Leandro Trossard has provided solid competition to Martinelli on the left wing. Neto could be seen as a potential competitor for Saka on the right wing, but he is unlikely to displace him.
Keeping this in mind, the club may not make an approach for Neto unless the price tag is lowered to around £50m which Wolves were after in 2022.
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