Arsenal’s transfer window ended in disappointment after they failed to land a number of targets on deadline day.
The Gunners were proactive during the summer, with Mikel Arteta quickly addressing the issues in a squad which came desperately close to the top four. Gabriel Jesus was his top priority and the ex-Manchester City striker made the switch to North London in a deal worth £45million.
Jesus’ City team-mate Oleksandr Zinchenko was identified as the type of player to fulfil a number of roles and was drafted in for £32m. Fabio Vieira arrives with an impressive reputation, while Marquinhos and Matt Turner provide some much-needed depth.
But in the final weeks of the window, Arsenal had hoped to sign another wide player to help alleviate the workload on Bukayo Saka. The identity of the ‘mystery winger’ was a source of constant speculation, particularly following the departure of Nicolas Pepe.
It then became apparent that Wolverhampton Wanderers star Pedro Neto was firmly on Arteta and Edu’s radar, despite significant hurdles standing in the way of a potential transfer. Most significant of which was the fact Neto had only penned a new deal at Molineux in March, extending his contract until 2027.
That gave the Midlands outfit full control of any negotiations, with no imminent pressure to sell the Portuguese international. And the Athletic report that Wolves ’ hardball stance earlier in the window had the Gunners think tank rightfully concerned.
Just days before Arsenal’s interest in Neto became apparent, Wanderers drove an exceptionally hard bargain for Morgan Gibbs-White. Wolves had been clear with their position on the England U21 international, despite only having two years remaining on his contract.
Manager Bruno Lage had consistently reinforced the idea that the midfielder was worth £50m after his impressive loan spell with Sheffield United in the Championship. That was no accident either, with the club’s top brass attempting to drive up the price after it was made clear he wouldn’t be signing a new contract.
According to BirminghamLive, Wolves felt that Gibbs-White represented the best chance of securing a transfer windfall, without losing one of their most important players. It was those negotiations which resulted in the Gunners correctly predicting they would be priced out of a move for Neto.
Arsenal also missed out on a central midfielder in the final throes of the window, potentially leaving them short following injuries to Mohamed Elneny and Thomas Partey. Nevertheless, he was content with the business they did complete, despite a frustrating final few hours.
“We did business pretty early, but unfortunately in the past 72 hours Thomas [Partey] got injured in the same place as last time, and then Mo [Elneny] has a long-term injury,” he said at the end of the window. “Then we had to react in the market and we tried, but at the end of the day we have to bring in the player that we feel is right for the team and for the club.”
He added: “We only have to bring in top talent, top quality people through that door and be very disciplined.
“We pushed to strengthen the team and bring the best possible people and players into this football club, and we have managed that to a certain level. Then we have our limitations; time was a big limitation in what happened in the last 72 hours with our midfield. We tried to act but we couldn't find the right player.”
