Arsenal now targeting Barcelona keeper Neto and hopeful of loan through familiar agent
Arsenal are looking to capitalise on Barcelona's financial crisis by snapping up goalkeeper Neto - and they have a strong relationship with his agent Kia Joorabchian
Posted Friday, August 13, 2021 by Dailystar.co.uk
Arsenal have made Barcelona goalkeeper Neto a transfer target - and are hoping to use a familiar agent to get the deal pushed through.
The Spanish side are in crisis, having let talismanic forward Lionel Messi leave for free due to La Liga regulations.
This requires the club to reach a salary cap, which would have seen them need to take off £200m if they had kept the 34-year-old on the books.
And The Athletic have reported that Arsenal want to become the latest to capitalise on Barcelona's financial crisis.
Mikel Arteta has been chasing another goalkeeper to add to his ranks, having prioritised Sheffield United's Aaron Ramsdale before making a U-turn.
Arsenal have made Barcelona goalkeeper Neto a transfer target - and are looking to benefit from his agent
And the report states that this will see him chase 32-year-old Barca goalkeeper Neto.
Having moved to the club from Valencia in 2019, he has only made nine league appearances in that time behind Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
With work still needed to reduce the wage bill at the Nou Camp, it has seen the Gunners become 'hopeful of striking loan agreement'.
And they also have an advantage due to Neto's agent being Kia Joorabchian, the same man who brokered deals for Arsenal to sign David Luiz, Cedric Soares and Willian.
Arsenal have had the 32-year-old 'closely assessed by their analysts' and there is a 'consensus' that he would solve a problem for the Gunners.
Should a move for the Brazilian happen, it would make the shot-stopper the fourth new face in north London this summer.
Nuno Tavares was signed last month to provide cover for Kieran Tierney at left back while Albert Sambi Lokonga joined for £15.75m from Anderlecht.
But the most high-profile signing of the summer for the Gunners has been Ben White's transfer from Brighton for a mammoth £50m fee.
And Shaun Wright-Phillips believes the Englishman's signing will be more successful than Raphael Varane's move to Manchester United.
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