Arsenal's plans for the January transfer window have reportedly been altered due to the hamstring problem that Pedro Neto suffered while representing Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.
The 23-year-old has been in impressive form for Wolves this season, scoring once and registering seven assists in 10 appearances in the Premier League.
Neto provided another assist in his side's 2-2 draw with Newcastle United on Saturday, but he was unable to complete the match at Molineux after pulling up with a hamstring problem in the latter stages.
The Portugal international, who has recently had long spells out with knee and ankle injuries, is now seemingly facing another lengthy period on the sidelines.
Arsenal have been heavily linked with Neto, and it has been suggested that the Gunners were planning to make a move for him when the January transfer window opens for business.
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However, according to football.london, Arsenal are now being forced to look elsewhere, as if the worst is confirmed, Neto is unlikely to be back by January.
Speaking after the clash with Newcastle, Wolves boss Gary O'Neil said that he was hopeful that the injury was not as serious as it looked.
"He's moving around. Obviously hamstring injuries have very different levels of severity, so we're hoping it's on the smaller side," he told reporters.
"Hodgey (Joe Hodge) had a similar one in the cup game and wasn't out too long, so we're hopeful that Pedro won't be missing for long. He's been a big part of what we've managed to do so far, but for however long he's out for, the group is ready to make sure we keep producing performances and we keep picking up points."
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Neto will undergo a scan to determine the extent of the problem, but the manner in which he pulled up suggests that he could be facing a lengthy spell out of action.
The Portuguese recently hinted that he was not looking to leave Molineux despite interest from the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool.
"I want to say that I am here and I will help everyone. I love the club and everybody here, I have always felt that it has given a lot to me," he told The Telegraph.
"I'm enjoying the moment here so I will continue to do that. The future and long-term ambitions don't matter. We will never go down in any situation, we are here to win and fight. I feel really good at the moment and hope to continue."
Neto has scored 12 goals and registered 20 assists in 121 appearances for Wolves since arriving from Braga in 2019, and he has another four years left to run on his contract at Molineux.
Matt Law
