Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke has informed Mikel Arteta and the club’s sporting director that they should prioritize signing a superstar player over Ivan Toney, who they had pursued previously. This decision follows Arsenal’s recent 1-0 victory over Manchester City, which has heightened their ambitions of winning the Premier League title this season. With the January transfer window on the horizon, Arteta faces the challenge of strengthening the squad within a limited budget.
Mikel Arteta’s preference now leans toward securing the services of Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Pedro Neto rather than Brentford striker Ivan Toney. The rationale behind this choice is that Pedro Neto’s versatility and skills can ease the workload on Bukayo Saka, who has been overburdened with game time. Saka’s recent injury concerns have highlighted the need for another top-quality winger in the squad.
Football Transfers reports that Arteta has been informed of the limited budget available for January, possibly allowing only one marquee signing. To finance this addition, some players may need to be offloaded. Thus, Arteta might find himself in a situation where he must choose between Pedro Neto and Ivan Toney as Arsenal’s primary January target.
Pedro Neto, a 23-year-old Portuguese talent, has been in sensational form this season, already contributing with one goal and five assists in the early stages of the Premier League campaign. Despite facing a few injury setbacks in recent years, Neto’s performance has been outstanding, earning him praise from pundits like Leon Osman, who described him as ‘terrific’ and a constant headache for defenders.
While Arteta may prefer Pedro Neto, convincing Wolverhampton Wanderers to sell him in the middle of the season might prove challenging. Wolves are likely to consider Neto crucial to securing their Premier League status, and even if Arsenal offers a substantial sum in January, there is no guarantee that a deal will materialize.
