Arsenal’s January transfer swoop for Pedro Neto may have to be put on hold after the Wolves winger went off injured during his side’s 2-2 draw with Newcastle United on Saturday. The Portugal star has been in sensational form this season and has caught the eye of many top European clubs including the Gunners.
Arsenal are on the lookout for a new winger to provide cover for Bukayo Saka on the right-hand side. Neto is reportedly towards the top of their shortlist ahead of the winter transfer window after they failed to secure his signature in the summer of 2022.
However, there are now considerable doubts over whether the north Londoners will make a bid for the player after he was stretchered off at Molineaux. Manager Gary O’Neil confirmed that Neto had picked up a hamstring injury during the game but remained hopeful that it wasn’t too serious.
“He’s moving around. Obviously, hamstring injuries have very different levels of severity, so we’re hoping it’s on the smaller side,” he told assembled media at his post-match press conference. But if the news is worse than O’Neil hopes, that would likely rule Arsenal out of signing him in January.
This comes after Neto poured doubts on a move away from the West Midlands during a revealing interview with the Daily Telegraph. “I want to say that I am here and I will help everyone,” he told the British newspaper. “I love the club and everybody here, I have always felt that it has given a lot to me.
“I’m enjoying the moment here so I will continue to do that. The future and long-term ambitions don’t matter. We will never go down in any situation, we are here to win and fight. I feel really good at the moment and hope to continue.”
Providing Neto’s injury isn’t too severe he could be back in action with plenty of time to spare before the transfer window opens on January 1. But his recent comments suggest he is loving life at Wolves regardless.
Wolves are also understood to be less than keen on letting their star player go although a fee around the £50million mark would reportedly be enough to persuade them otherwise.
