Arteta risks repeating Arsenal mistake as top target makes transfer plea

Despite seeing his side surge to a 5-1 win over Everton on Sunday afternoon, Mikel Arteta was left to rue his luck after Arsenal missed out on a top-four finish.

The Gunners were in pole position to pinch the final Champions League spot ahead of their bitter north London rivals, Tottenham, in the final stretch of the Premier League campaign. But Arsenal have imploded in recent weeks and allowed Antonio Conte's men to sneak their way back to Europe's top table.

But it wasn't all doom and gloom for Arteta this weekend, as he was handed a major summer transfer boost at around the same time that Arsenal's Champions League dreams were officially dashed.

Wolves midfield maestro Ruben Neves - who has been linked with both the Gunners and Manchester United in recent months - opened the door for a summer switch after the Midlands outfit fell to a 3-1 defeat at Liverpool on the final day of the season.

Speaking after the match, Neves said: "Everyone knows about what football is about, what our lives are about. Our careers are really short, we need to take the opportunities we have. Of course, all of us have dreams and we need to live those dreams in a short space of time. Let's see what happens. I cannot say too much about it."

The silky midfielder is exactly the type of player that would help keep Arteta's ambitious rebuilding project motoring along, but his comments coincided with a report from football.london claiming that Mohamed Elneny has penned a new deal at the club. And Arteta could be about to make his first major error of the transfer window if he decides to stick with Elneny and pass on a move for Neves.

Join the debate! Do you think Arsenal should pursue a summer deal for Neves? Let us know here.

Although the 29-year-old has deputised admirably in recent weeks, Arsenal saw their Champions League dreams falter because of their reliance on sub-par squad players, and they simply cannot afford to rely on fringe men again next year. The likes of Rob Holding and Cedric Soares have been shown up in recent weeks and were found wanting in the pivotal clash against Tottenham - a match that had major implications in deciding their top-four fate.

As impressive as Elneny has been, he cannot be allowed to prevent a deal for Neves being pursued if Arsenal have realistic aspirations of coming back stronger next year. The Egyptian has proven his worth as a squad member in recent weeks, but nothing more.

Neves has essentially paved the way for a big move and, although Arsenal would face competition to seal a deal for the intelligent playmaker, the ball is now firmly in their court. Failing to pursue that avenue of opportunity would already represent Arsenal's first major mistake of the summer, one they can ill-afford if they want to finish in the top four next season.