Norberto Neto has asked to leave La Liga giants Barcelona during the January transfer window amid interest from Premier League giants Arsenal and Everton, as reported by Mundo Deportivo.
This is not the first time the Brazilian international goalkeeper has made his dissatisfaction known at the Camp Nou.
Neto had set his sights on a mid-season departur this time last year too, only to be told by then-manager Ronald Koeman that he was still an important part of Barcelona’s plans.
The Catalan giants might not be the best run club in European football right now but even they understand the importance of having two first-team goalkeepers at their disposal.
12 months on, history may be about to repeat itself.
Neto has asked to leave once more.
But, according to MD, head coach Xavi Hernandez has taken a leaf out of his predecessor’s book, telling the former Fiorentina and Valencia ‘keeper that Barcelona are not going to let him go without first signing a replacement.
Doing so will be easier said than done, however.
Barca’s financial problems are well-documented – they cannot even register new signing Ferran Torres until they find some wriggle room in their eye-watering wage bill.
And their most attainable goalkeeping target, La Masia graduate Andre Onana, has agreed a move to Inter Milan instead.
Sport claimed in December that Rafa Benitez’s Everton had set their sights on Neto amid doubts about Jordan Pickford’s future at Goodison Park.
The 32-year-old also has admirers at Arsenal, reports suggesting that the Gunners see Neto as a potential replacement for the out-of-favour Bernd Leno at the Emirates (Mail).
Then again, having played just 11 La Liga games in three years at Barcelona, it’s doubtful that Neto would readily accept a back-seat role at Arsenal too with Aaron Ramsdale firmly established as Mikel Arteta’s number one.
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