It has been an incredibly quiet transfer window for Arsenal this summer, especially compared to the last two years.... CLICK TO READ THE FULL NEWS HERE▶▶
So far, the only genuine addition to the first team has been Riccardo Calafiori, and while Mikel Merino’s move to the club is supposedly getting closer, it has felt ‘close’ for almost a month now.
What makes this more of a problem is that fans can see other teams strengthening, be it Tottenham Hotspur’s capture of Dominic Solanke, Liverpool’s move for Martin Zubimendi, or even Chelsea’s surprise move to sign Pedro Neto, who was touted for a move to the Emirates several times over the last few months.
pedro-neto-wolves
Now, while missing out on Neto is far from ideal, fans can take some solace in the fact that the club already has a player better than him in that position, and he is worth millions more.
The latest on Pedro Neto
Yes, on Friday afternoon, The Athletic’s David Ornstein confirmed that Chelsea had reached an agreement with Wolverhampton Wanderers for their star winger Neto.
Pedro Neto for Wolves
According to Ornstein, the Blues will pay the Old Gold a fee of €60m plus €3m of add-ons, which converts to a total package of around £54m, which was later confirmed by Sky Sports News and BBC Sport.
It’s an undeniably sizable fee for a player who has missed 100 games over the last three campaigns, but in the 24 appearances he did make last season, he scored three goals and provided 11 assists, so the talent is obviously there.
Pedro Neto
It’s a surprising move, though, as, over the last few weeks, the two clubs most heavily linked with the Portuguese international have been Arsenal and their North London rivals, Spurs.
There is sure to be some level of disappointment among Arsenal fans who were excited by Neto’s quality, but this is one transfer they shouldn’t worry too much about missing out on, as they already have a far more valuable option in that area of the pitch.
Bukayo Saka’s valuation in 2024
Yes, the player in question is Hale End superstar Bukayo Saka, who, according to Transfermarkt, is worth a whopping €140m, which is about £120m, or a massive £66m more than Neto.
Arsenal right winger Bukayo Saka
Having a player worth this much is brilliant for a club regardless of how much they spent to sign them, but considering the Englishman came up through the academy and hasn’t cost the club a penny in terms of a transfer fee, it’s astounding.
Moreover, it’s a totally justified valuation as well, as for years now, the “incredible” winger, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has been the star of the show at the Emirates.
Saka’s senior Arsenal career
Appearances
226
Minutes
17401′
Goals
58
Assists
53
Goal Involvements per Match
0.49
Minutes per Goal Involvement
156′
For example, despite still being just 22 years old, he has made 226 senior appearances for the North Londoners, in which he’s scored 58 goals and provided 53 assists, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 2.03 games.
However, he took another step forward last season, as in just 47 matches for Arteta’s side, he scored 20 goals and provided 14 assists, meaning he produced a goal involvement on average every 1.38 games, which is significantly more impressive than Neto’s average of one every 1.71 games last season.
Moreover, unlike the new Chelsea man, the Ealing-born talisman has a relatively clean bill of health, having only missed 15 games for club and country across his entire career, compared to a staggering 126 for the Portuguese international.
Ultimately, Arsenal do need to sign a quality backup for Saka this summer, but given the price and his horrific injury record, they probably made the right call by not going for Neto.
