“He’s the sort of player who Arsenal maybe could’ve signed” - Theo Walcott says Gunners should have signed Chelsea star

Former Arsenal forward Theo Walcott believes that the Gunners should have competed with Chelsea for the services of Pedro Neto. The Portuguese forward left Wolverhampton Wanderers this summer to join the Blues in a reported £54m deal.

Neto has been quite impressive for Chelsea since his arrival, registering three goals and three assists from 15 games. On Sunday, he gave Arsenal a reminder of what they missed out on.

The visitors had taken the lead at Stamford Bridge in the 60th minute courtesy of a Gabriel Martinelli strike. However, Neto hit a long ranger 10 minutes later to restore parity for the Blues.

Speaking after the game on BBC's Match of the Day 2 (via Metro), Walcott insisted that the Portuguese could have been a hit at the Emirates.

"When we talk about Neto – he’s the sort of player who Arsenal maybe could have signed to have given that compeittion to others players. That’s kind of what they need right now, to provide that competition," said Walcott.

The Gunners had been linked with a move for the 24-year-old for a while. Mikel Arteta apparently viewed Pedro Neto as the ideal candidate to cover for Bukayo Saka in attack.

However, the club were apparently concerned about the player's injury history and decided not to pursue a deal this summer. Chelsea took advantage and prised the Portuguese away. He has become indispensable under Enzo Maresca since.

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Will Arsenal and Chelsea battle for another striker in 2025?

Pedro Neto

While Arsenal might have lost to Chelsea in the race for Pedro Neto, they are likely to pose stiff competition to the Blues in the race for Benjamin Sesko. The Gunners wanted the Slovenian striker over the summer, but couldn't get a deal across the line.

Sesko signed a new contract with RB Leipzig in June that keeps him at the Red Bull Arena until 2029. However, the 21-year-old reportedly has a gentleman's agreement with the club to leave for €75m next summer.

Chelsea are already in the market for a new striker and wouldn't be averse to paying Sesko's asking price. The Slovenian has gone from strength to strength with RB Leipzig of late.

Last season, he registered 18 goals and two assists from 42 games across competitions for the German side. This year, Sesko has already plundered seven goals and set up three more from 15 games. The Slovenian could be a fine fit at Stamford Bridge, but Arsenal are unlikely to give up on the player without a fight.