Mikel Arteta’s summer transfer window closed on 1 September without a new attacker arriving at the Emirates.
Arsenal’s principal target throughout the window was Julian Alvarez, but the Argentine striker told Arteta directly that he did not want to leave Atletico Madrid, and no late change of heart materialised.
By the deadline, Gabriel Jesus had departed for Barcelona in a £8.6m (€10m) deal, and Ethan Nwaneri had joined Borussia Dortmund on a season-long loan with no option to buy.
Leandro Trossard also left for Besiktas earlier in the window. Gabriel Martinelli’s exit followed in the days after the deadline, with the Brazilian completing a club-record £60m move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal.
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That sequence of departures left Arsenal with Christos Tzolis as their only recognised left-sided forward option, with Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke also required to provide cover across other areas of Arteta’s attack.
Three weeks into the new season, the club’s business elsewhere has continued to make headlines, this time in Turin.
Juventus have agreed a deal to sign goalkeeper Neto on a short-term contract, according to Fabrizio Romano.
🚨⚪️⚫️ Juventus agree deal to sign Neto as new goalkeeper, here we go!
Short term contract agreed for the Brazilian GK who returns to Juventus after Kamil Grabara’s knee injury. 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/AfHqvnjdX3
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 23, 2026
The move brings the Brazilian back to the club he first joined a decade ago, and comes as a direct result of Kamil Grabara’s knee injury.
Grabara, who arrived at Juventus on loan from Wolfsburg with an option to buy, sustained the injury in training last week, shortly after an impressive full debut in the Europa League against NEC Nijmegen, in which he kept a clean sheet and set up Nico Gonzalez’s goal.
Scans confirmed a tear to the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, with the club yet to confirm an exact return date, though he faces a lengthy spell out, with some reports in Italy suggesting the remainder of the season.
The injury left Juventus without a recognised understudy to first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who also joined this summer on loan with an option to buy from Tottenham Hotspur.
Neto, 37, has been a free agent since his contract with Botafogo expired on 30 June.
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He previously served as Gianluigi Buffon’s back-up at Juventus between 2015 and 2017, winning the domestic double in both of those seasons and making 22 appearances across all competitions.
Since leaving Turin, Neto has played for Valencia, Barcelona and Bournemouth. He also spent time on loan at Arsenal during the 2024-25 season, though he did not make a single league appearance for the club during that spell.
Juventus had considered other free-agent options, including Sergio Rico, Alfred Gomis and Adam Stejskal, before turning to Neto as their preferred candidate.
Reports in Italy also indicate the club are separately monitoring Frosinone goalkeeper Lorenzo Palmisani as a longer-term target for next season.
Coach Luciano Spalletti had made clear that regular third-choice keeper Carlo Pinsoglio, who has made just six appearances in nine years at the club, could not be relied upon as Vicario’s only cover. Neto’s arrival is intended to close that gap for the remainder of the campaign.
Jurrien Timber
Jurrien Timber
Fabrizio Romano
Fabrizio Romano