Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit would love his former club to pull off an audacious move for Manchester City star Bernardo Silva. Petit would also like to see Ivan Toney join the Gunners but says deals for Ousmane Dembele and Pedro Neto would not be wise.
Mikel Arteta is keen to use every transfer window to its maximum. The Arsenal boss spent around £210million on new signings in the summer in an attempt to close the gap on City both domestically and in Europe.
Arteta has signed two players from City in the past, bringing in Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko, while failing to convince Ilkay Gundogan to join at the end of last season. Silva has only recently signed a new contract to keep him at the Etihad until 2026.
The Portugal star put in a starring display in Sunday’s Manchester derby and it got Petit dreaming of how he would look in an Arsenal shirt. He told OLBG: “I would love to see Bernardo Silva at Arsenal.
“He was great at Old Trafford. Arsenal need a player like him – one who can play in every single position.
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“You know he’s going to play well no matter where you stick him. His passes are great and he’s so intelligent tactically. He’s also perfect in the dressing room. He can do so many things on the pitch.”
Recruiting in attack is set to be the next task on Arteta’s agenda. Brentford star Toney is linked with a January move once his ban for breaching the FA’s betting rules comes to an end.
Petit says the England international, who is valued at £80million, is the ideal striker for the Gunners. He said: “I’m a huge fan of Ivan Toney. He’s done a great job with Brentford ever since they came up from the Championship, and I’m not surprised that they’re struggling without him, even if they beat Chelsea at the weekend.
“Brentford are not the same team without Toney and the package he brings – his goals, mentality, and behaviour. Whoever gets Toney in January, if he does leave, will be getting a great bargain. If Arsenal have a chance to sign him, they should go for him.”
Arsenal also want to add depth out wide to provide backup and competition to Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli. Dembele has struggled in his early days at Paris Saint-Germain and has been linked with the Gunners.
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But Petit says his compatriot wouldn’t be a smart signing. He added: “Ousmane Dembele is struggling as he’s under massive pressure at PSG.
“He wastes chances on many occasions and he’s not scoring goals. It’s been a difficult start for him, so I can’t say Dembele for Arsenal.”
Wolves’ Neto is also still on Arsenal’s radar but despite a promising start to the season, Petit doesn’t think he’s at the level required. He said: “Pedro Neto is a young prospect. He’s not scoring many goals, but he’s delivered seven assists this season.
“Neto has played 100 games for Wolves already, and he’s delivered 17 total assists. He’s an exciting prospect and he’s electric. He’s a good player who is playing for his national team, but I’m not sure if Arsenal need him.”
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