David Ornstein has revealed Arsenal have a new transfer priority between now and transfer deadline day.

What’s the news?

The Athletic correspondent has stated that Pedro Neto is Arsenal’s transfer "priority” as Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his wide options.

In full, he reported: "Arsenal transfer priority is Pedro Neto. Discussions for over a month - AFC to Jorge Mendes, Mendes to Wolves. WWFC don’t plan to sell 22yo winger yet + Arsenal can’t spend excessively so deal not easy. But interest concrete & unanimous."

Fellow journalist Daniel Cutts revealed that it may take a mammoth £50m bid in order to prise him away from Molineux.

Special Raphinha alternative

Arteta has given the squad somewhat of an overhaul this summer, shipping out some deadwood and signing quality players such as Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko.

This decision has been vindicated with their incredible start to the Premier League season, with three wins from three and the Spaniard looks to have brought the feel-good factor back to the club following years of decay.

With the majority of his squad finalised, Arteta could be looking to add one or two more faces, and with the club missing out on a deal for Raphinha, Neto could be an ideal alternative.

Since joining Wolves in 2019, Neto has scored 11 goals and notched 12 assists in 95 matches, numbers that might have been higher if it wasn't for a knee injury he sustained last season which kept him out for ten months.

This has stunted his progress, but this might work in Arsenal’s favour as they may well be able to land him for a slightly lower fee.

Comparing Neto’s best season at Wolves in 2019/2020 to Raphinha in the same campaign shows just how alike the two are. Both registered over ten goal contributions (11 to 18) while Neto had a higher pass completion rate (78.8% to 66.4%).

In terms of shot-creating actions, the Brazilian came out on top, but only just, with 4.33 per match in comparison to Neto’s 3.92, showing that they are both keen on producing as many chances to score as possible.

In terms of crosses from wide positions, Neto delivered a staggering 127 balls into the box compared to Raphinha’s 82. It appears from the stats that the youngster has a slightly more well-rounded game, and this was when he was only 19 years of age.a

The last year has been tough for Neto, but with interest from Arsenal high, a move to the Emirates may be the catalyst for the "very special talent" - in the words of Jamie Redknapp - to get his career back on track.