Mikel Arteta transfer plan revealed as Man City use 'secret agents' to hijack £86m Arsenal deal

Manchester City have dealt Arsenal a major blow to their hopes of signing Pedro Neto – so Mikel Arteta has drawn up the perfect backup plan. The 23-year-old winger was heavily linked with an exit from Wolves in the summer but an £86million move failed to materialise.

Neto, who sees his contract at Molineux expire in 2027, enjoyed a brilliant start to the Premier League season, racking up nine goals and assists in the opening 10 games. But at the end of October, the Portugal international suffered a hamstring injury against Newcastle United.

After nine weeks on the sidelines, Neto finally made his long-awaited return during Wolves' 3-0 win over Everton at the end of December. Then, shortly after New Year's Day, the Portuguese star fired Gary O'Neil's side into the FA Cup fourth round with two assists against Brentford.

His impressive performances have reportedly courted the interest of both Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta, who are both eager to further bolster their frontlines. According to FootballTransfers, Arsenal have been a long admirer of Neto, with the club's interest dating back to the the 2020/21 campaign.

The report states that the Gunners are 'getting ready to launch a bid' in the summer, however they face tough competition from the reigning Premier League champions. So eager in fact that FootballTransfers believe Guardiola has urged the likes of Ruben Dias and Matheus Nunes – his very own secret agents – to talk him into a move to the Etihad Stadium.

However, the report adds that Arteta has been keeping his options open, identifying Xavi Simons as an alternative. The 20-year-old attacking midfielder, who is currently on loan at RB Leipzig from Paris Saint-Germain, has featured 18 times in the Bundesliga this