Arsenal could make a move for Barcelona‘s backup goalkeeper Neto in the summer transfer window, as per reports.
The Brazilian has played second fiddle to Marc-Andre ter Stegen since signing for the club in 2019, and will play his final game for the club against Eibar on Sunday.
As per Mundo Deportivo, Neto is set to leave the club in the summer and Arsenal are one of the clubs interested in signing him. The 31-year-old was keen on leaving in the January transfer window but Barca did not permit him to leave as they did not have another backup ‘keeper.
Neto had joined the club from Valencia in 2019 just a day after then Barca backup ‘keeper Jasper Cillessen moved to Valencia.
He still has two years remaining on his current Barcelona contract. He has made 10 appearances for the club this season in all competitions, keeping four clean sheets.
The Brazilian has previously played for Italian clubs Fiorentina and Juventus before making the switch to Spain. He has also made one appearance for the Brazilian national team which came in 2018.
Is Neto the solidity Arsenal need in goal?
Neto is a goalkeeper with vast experience, playing for some of the biggest sides in Europe. At both Juventus and Barcelona, the Brazilian acted as a backup goalkeeper to Gianluigi Buffon and Marc-Andre ter Stegen, respectively.
The veteran goalkeeper had two strong seasons at Valencia following his move from Juventus, and became the first-choice keeper at the Spanish club.
Arsenal 'keen on Neto' with Barcelona listening to offers for goalkeeperhttps://t.co/swXCK8G7IU pic.twitter.com/CFumLqUJZs
— Mirror Football (@MirrorFootball) May 19, 2021
In the last two seasons at Barca, Neto has played between the sticks only when ter Stegen has been injured as the German has been a permanent fixture for the Spanish giants. Neto is a steady goalkeeper who is a good shot-stopper, averaging 2.5 saves in the six league games he has played this season
Arsenal, meanwhile, has had issues with their backup keepers. The Gunners allowed Emiliano Martinez to join Aston Villa last summer despite the Argentinian putting strong performances for the North London side in 2019-20 season.
Martinez wanted first-team football, but the Gunners believed that Bernd Leno was their first-choice striker which meant that the former had to leave.
The Premier League side signed Icelandic international Alex Runarsson as a replacement for Martinez but the 26-year-old has been woeful in the few games that he has played for Arsenal. The Gunners signed Brighton’s Matt Ryan on loan in the January transfer window to provide cover for Leno.
It remains to be seen if Arsenal will sign Ryan on a permanent basis in the summer. If they don’t, they should certainly target Neto, who will be a very good backup ‘keeper and could even push Leno for the No. 1 slot in the Arsenal starting XI. Neto has the experience and ability to be a solid figure between the sticks for the Gunners.
Stats via Whoscored