Arsenal ‘keeping close eye on’ Liverpool target as Prem title rivals ‘scout’ 11-assist winger

Wolves winger Pedro Neto is attracting interest from Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham ahead of the summer transfer window, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Neto has been in fine form this season, providing 11 assists and scoring three goals in 21 appearances.

Impressively, the Portuguese attacker had eight goal contributions in Wolves’ first ten Premier League matches, suffering an injury in October that ruled him out until late December.

His performances have helped Wolves reach the last eight of the FA Cup, where they have a very winnable home tie against Coventry City.

Gary O’Neil’s side are also ninth in the Premier League after 26 games, when lots of people were tipping them for relegation at the start of the season.

There is expected to be a lot of interest in Neto this summer and Arsenal have been strongly linked in the past.

However, transfer expert Romano reckons Liverpool and Spurs are two teams to watch in the race for Neto’s signature.

Read more: Premier League stats: Pedro Neto ranks high for assists

Romano says in his CaughtOffside column that the Gunners ‘included Neto in their shortlist two years ago’ and when they identify a player they like, ‘they keep following him’.

This means Mikel Arteta is likely ‘still keeping a close eye’ on the 23-year-old.

Spurs, meanwhile, ‘believe they need a new winger’ and Neto ‘could be a fantastic solution’.

This seems like more of a recommendation from Romano than evidence that Spurs are interested in signing the Portuguese winger, although he says they ‘are worth keeping an eye on’.

Romano ‘thinks these two clubs will be interested’ and has recommended we keep our other eye on Liverpool.

It is claimed that Neto ‘has been scouted’ by the Reds ‘in recent months and years’ and could make their move at the end of the season.

Liverpool are going to be searching for a new manager and sporting director this summer, however, so it feels like we should take the vast majority of transfer talk with a pinch of salt.

Romano adds that Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise is another winger expected to ‘be on the list of many top clubs, especially in the Premier League’.

The biggest worry for interested clubs will be Neto’s injury record since moving to England. Olise is actually another player who has struggled to stay fit over the last year or so.

Neto missed 52 matches for Wolves after suffering a serious knee injury in April 2021 and missed a large chunk of last season due to an ankle problem.

It was a hamstring injury that ruled Neto out for two months this term, so at least there is not a recurrence of the knee and ankle problems he suffered in the past.

However, it is clear that he is a very injury-prone player, so it feels like a healthy second half to this campaign will be crucial if he wants to move on to a bigger club.

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