The Real Reason Neto Hasn’t Made His Arsenal Debut Yet: Loan Restrictions and Missed Opportunities

Keeper Neto, one of Arsenal’s summer signing, will not be allowed to play this weekend against AFC Bournemouth. The Gunners are preparing for a big Premier League game this Saturday evening in an effort to put pressure on title contenders Liverpool and Manchester City, who also will play the next day (Sunday). Even if only for a day, a victory would give Arsenal the opportunity to be above them in the league standings.

However, Arsenal’s backup Goalkeeper, Neto, will be absent in this match. According to Premier League regulations, loaned players are not permitted to play against their parent clubs, hence the 35-year-old Brazilian is not eligible. Since Neto joined Arsenal on a season-long loan from Bournemouth, he will not be able to play against them in this match.

During the summer transfer window, Neto joined Arsenal as David Raya’s backup goalkeeper. Neto has not yet made his Arsenal debut, despite his skill and experience. He will unable to play when Arsenal plays Bournemouth,  because of the rule that prohibits loaned players from playing against their parent clubs.

Neto has been unavailable for selection on multiple occasions this season. Previously, Neto was not included in the squad for Arsenal’s Carabao Cup match against League One team Bolton Wanderers. In that occasion, he was disqualified since he was “cup tied” due to his previous appearance for Bournemouth in the same competition. A player cannot compete for another club in the same tournament after having already represented one club.

Mikel Arteta, the manager of Arsenal, had to find alternatives when Neto was not available. Arteta made the decision to give young goalkeeper Jack Porter a chance in the Carabao Cup encounter against Bolton. In the end, Arsenal won 5-1 effortlessly, and the 16-year-old stepped up and played the entire 90 minutes. With his strong performance, Porter showed he has great potential for the future.

Porter will probably be on the bench for Arteta’s game against Bournemouth, but he may be used as a backup once more. David Raya, the first-choice goalkeeper, is expected to start. Raya has been starting in both Premier League and Champions League games. On the other hand, Neto has mainly been a bench warmer so far, showing up on the sidelines for two Champions League games and four Premier League games without getting an opportunity to play.

Neto is a dependable alternative for Arteta for the remainder of the season, even though his absence from these games is mostly due to certain rules and circumstance. With plenty of experience as a keeper, Neto adds depth to Arsenal’s squad and will probably have the opportunity to prove his value later in the season, particularly in domestic cup competitions or in the event of injuries.