"That’s one to keep an eye on" - Former Arsenal star tells Mikel Arteta to sign Premier League winger
Former Arsenal winger Adrian Clarke has urged manager Mikel Arteta to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers' Portuguese talisman Pedro Neto to add some much-needed quality and depth on the wing.
Speaking about Neto on the Handbrake Off Podcast, Clarke was all praise for the young winger. He said:
“Pedro Neto is someone I really like, I think he’s a terrific player at Wolves, injury-prone, but when he’s fit and firing, he’s electric either down the middle or out wide, so maybe that’s one to keep an eye on,”
Although he is only 23, Neto already has 123 appearances for Wolves in all competitions since joining the club in 2019, with an impressive output of 12 goals and 22 assists in a traditionally defensive system.
Neto is enjoying a brilliant 2023-24 season, with seven assists in the Premier League in only 11 games. He is second only to Mohamed Salah and Ollie Watkins, who are tied at eight apiece.
However, Clarke also makes a valid point about Neto's injury record. Neto has already missed extended periods of time with long-term injuries to his hamstring, knee and ankle that have already sidelined him for nearly 100 matches across his young career so far.
With that being said, Neto's electric pace, silky dribbling and an eye for a killer pass would make him an incredible addition to Arsenal's attacking lineup.
Arsenal to don special all-white kit for their FA Cup clash against Liverpool
Arsenal confirmed on their website that they will be donning their all-white kit, devoid of the iconic Gunners red, for the first time on home turf in their FA Cup third-round clash against Liverpool on Sunday, January 7.
As part of their No More Red campaign, replicas of the kit will be on sale with all the proceeds going to charity. The initiative was launched in January of 2022 to raise awareness against knife crime and youth violence,
In their last meeting in the league on December 23, the sides drew 1-1 at Anfield. Since then, the sides have had contrasting fortunes as Liverpool climbed right up to the top of the table while Arsenal have slipped to fourth place after a poor run of results.
With Dominik Szoboszlai out with a hamstring injury, Mohamed Salah off on AFCON duty with Egypt, and key players like Andy Robertson, Joel Matip and Thiago also out, Liverpool will need their other attackers and midfielders to step up against Arsenal.
As most fixtures between top-quality teams go, this will be a mouth-watering clash and the result could still sway either way.