Over the last 18 months there has been a feel-good factor surrounding the Emirates Stadium. Radiant positivity has engulfed a club reinvigorated by Mikel Arteta.
Yet, as the New Year began its dark and wintery ascent, the Gunners fell away. Prior to that 5-0 victory over Crystal Palace last weekend they had tasted three straight defeats in which they’d only managed to score one goal.
All of a sudden Arsenal had dropped down to fourth. They were meant to be title challengers this term - they still are - but sitting in fourth again of all places was not what Arteta had in mind.
A quiet transfer window has preceded those results, largely due to mammoth fees being attached to targets such as £80m-valued Ivan Toney and £100m-rated Douglas Luiz.
Ivan-Toney-Brentford-Thomas-Frank
So what does the future hold? Let’s have a look.
Arsenal’s summer transfer targets
There is a real feeling that come the summer Arsenal will spend big again. It may not reach the lofty heights of the £105m they paid for Declan Rice but with the aforementioned valuations in mind, they could come close.
Toney is a wanted player by Edu and Co and the player has already revealed his desire to play for a ‘big club’.
But where else could they bolster? Well, Bukayo Saka is in need of some competition and mainly, some rest.
That explains links to Pedro Neto. Football Transfers revealed on Wednesday that the Wolves superstar is a priority target for the Gunners in the next transfer window.
pedro-neto-wolves
It’s stated that the north Londoners have been tracking Neto for months. However, their original interest dates back to the summer of 2022 where David Ornstein revealed they had made the young winger a target.
What Neto’s signing would mean for Saka
The fact of the matter is that Arsenal’s poster boy needs a rest. Back in August Saka equalled Paul Merson’s record for consecutive Premier League matches for Arsenal of a whopping 82.
That is an obscene amount of football for someone so young but it speaks volumes about his importance in N5.
He is their star man and they call on him whenever they need a sprinkling of quality most. In 2023 he was among the nominees for the Ballon d’Or, finished the last campaign as Arsenal’s top scorer on 15 goals and was described as "the best right winger in the world" by journalist Charles Watts.
Why would Arsenal want to bring in someone to rival Saka then? Well, to give him some rest and potentially even field him in a different role.
The England star notably burst into the team as a left back but he was also played on the left wing and has popped up in central areas too.
Bukayo Saka's career by position played
Position
Games
Goals
Assists
Right wing
77
23
21
Left midfield
64
21
20
Right midfield
56
18
16
Left-back
22
1
5
Left wing
13
3
3
Centre midfield
7
1
1
Centre forward
1
0
0
Data via Transfermarkt.
With Gabriel Martinelli struggling until last weekend - where he doubled his league tally for the season with two goals against Palace - there was reason to suggest that if Arteta had the depth Saka could be moved elsewhere on the pitch.
That might seem like a crazy suggestion on the surface but Saka offers a great deal not just on the right-hand side.
Remember a thumping finish at the near post against Bournemouth a few years ago? Watch below. Saka could be deadly on the left, as he could centrally, playing just the seven times there in his career, but impressing.
What this would do is give Arsenal a reason to field another creative option in Neto.
Described as a "transitional monster" by analyst Ben Mattinson, he has been a marvel in the Premier League this term. Only Mo Salah and Ollie Watkins (8) have registered more top-flight assists than Neto’s seven in 2023/24.
Bukayo Saka vs Pedro Neto: 2023/24 Season
Stat (per 90 mins)
Saka
Neto
Goals
0.31
0.09
Assists
0.31
0.64
Pass Success
76%
73%
Key Passes
2.78
2.57
Passes into penalty area
1.96
1.93
Progressive Passes
3.61
3.12
Shot-creating Actions
5.81
4.39
Attempted take-ons
4.18
4.59
Carries
39.6
30.6
Progressive Carries
4.85
5.14
Stats via FBref.
Of course, Arsenal haven’t had a problem carving out chances this term. They had 61 shots in their three defeats either side of the new year but in Neto they’d wield a player capable of scoring goals too, netting five and assisting six strikes in 32 Premier League games in 2020/21.
That isn’t exactly prolific but given he was only emerging on the scene as a teenager at the time, it’s promising stuff.
Since then the Portuguese has struggled with injuries but is evidently a supremely talented player.
Arsenal have been craving competition for Saka ever since chasing Raphinha hard in 2022. He went to Barcelona but Neto could finally be the answer.
It benefits Arsenal’s chance creation, it benefits the depth in their squad and it benefits Saka’s versatility and fatigue. It’s a win-win.
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