Arsenal have yet to bring in a new first-team player this summer, and as we continue hurtling towards the return of the Premier League, they're running out of time to do so and have them ready in time.
That said, while Mikel Arteta hasn't been able to introduce the fans to any new players yet, the club have been linked with a whole host of talented stars, from Sporting CP's Viktor Gyokeres to Athletic Bilbao's Nico Williams.
In fact, based on recent reports, Edu Gaspar and Co stand in good stead to get their hands on a Premier League star who has won favourable comparisons to the young Spaniard and would bring some extra attacking threat to the North Londoners' frontline.
Arsenal transfer news
According to a recent report from TEAMtalk, Arsenal have maintained their interest in Wolverhampton Wanderers star Pedro Neto and are currently frontrunners to sign him.
Alongside the North Londoners, the report claims that Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are keen to sign the Portuguese international, but following talks between the Gunners and the player's representative, his preference would be to move to the Emirates.
While this development undoubtedly makes the lives of Edu and Co easier, there is still the small matter of the fee, which, according to the report, will likely be around £50m.
It would by no means be a cheap transfer, but based on how good Neto can be when fit, bringing him to the club this summer would make Arsenal a far scarier proposition for opposition sides – the comparison to Williams is just a nice bonus.
Why Neto would be a brilliant signing and his comparison to Williams
So, before we take a look at how well Neto performed last season, let's look at this comparison to Williams and where it has come from.
It stems from FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe's top five leagues before creating a top ten list of the most comparable players for each one. In this case, they have ranked the Spaniard the number one most comparable attacking midfielder or winger to the Wolves ace in those five competitions.
They have come to this conclusion by looking at just how closely the pair rank in a number of underlying metrics, such as non-penalty expected goals plus assists, actual goals plus assists, progressive carries, shots and shots on target, goal-creating actions and carries into the penalty area, all per 90.
Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists
0.47
0.46
Goals and Assists
0.65
0.64
Progressive Carries
5.83
5.70
Shots
2.14
2.23
Shots on Target
0.71
0.76
Goal-Creating Actions
0.83
0.95
Carries into the Penalty Area
2.50
2.47
However, the 24-year-old's similarities to the Spanish ace should not be the only reason the Gunners should sign him.
For example, in just 24 appearances for the Old Gold last season, the dynamic "superstar", as dubbed by pundit and former professional Jamie Carragher, scored three goals and provided 11 assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.71 games for a midtable team.
Of course, there is concern over his injury record – he did miss 19 games last year – but in a team with Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, and Leandro Trossard on the wings, there would be no need for him to play every game, allowing him to get all the rest he needs.
Ultimately, while the fee is still sizable, the extra threat Neto would bring to Arteta's team makes him a player that Arsenal cannot afford to miss out on.
Moreover, the fact that he ranks so closely with Williams in many important underlying metrics can only be a good sign.
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