Joe McConnell
Pedro Neto has passed his medical ahead of a £54m move from Wolves to Chelsea.
The deal, signed on Friday, includes an initial payment of £51.4m, plus £2.6m in additional costs.
The personal terms have already been agreed in principle and Neto will sign a six-year contract with the option for a further year.
Manchester City and Spurs have also shown interest in the Wolves winger, who is due to be unveiled at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, while Chelsea host Inter in a pre-season friendly.
With three goals and 11 assists, Neto was in fine form for Wolves last season, despite suffering two separate hamstring problems during a campaign where he missed three months of action due to injury.
The Portugal international, who has won 10 caps for his country and was named in the squad for Euro 2024, is set to join Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke, Mykhailo Mudryk and Raheem Sterling as wingers for the new season, although Sterling has been linked with a move to Juventus.
Wolves winger Neto on his way to Chelsea
Neto is set to become Chelsea’s ninth signing of the summer, alongside Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Filip Jorgensen, Omari Kellyman, Aaron Anselmino, Renato Veiga, Caleb Wiley, Marc Guiu and Tosin Adarabioyo who will join Enzo Maresca’s squad for the new season.
The Blues are also set to sign Atletico Madrid striker Samu Omorodion for £34.5m, while midfielder Conor Gallagher is set to move in the opposite direction in a separate £36m move.
Chelsea are also interested in Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley as a potential replacement for Gallagher.
Why are Chelsea targeting Neto?
Vscek’ Sam Blitz:
If Maresca wants to build his Chelsea team along the lines of Pep Guardiola at Manchester City and Mikel Arteta at Arsenal, then Neto is a must-buy.
Both Guardiola and Arteta rely on one-on-one scouts down the flanks (Bukayo Saka, Jeremy Doku, Gabriel Martinelli and Jack Grealish come to mind) and, even during an injury-plagued spell at Wolves, Neto has proven to be one of the Premier League’s most adept strikers in one-on-one running battles.
Last season, Gary O’Neil took the chains off Neto. “Don’t refuse, we go every single time. It doesn’t matter if you lose him, test him. We go,” O’Neil said last season when asked about his one-on-one instructions to the Portuguese winger.
And Neto obliged. The 24-year-old was constantly involved in one-on-one battles last season, but more importantly, there was also an end product. Only Kevin De Bruyne averaged more assists per 90 minutes than Neto, who has the luxury of being equally effective on both flanks.
With Mudryk, Madueke and Sterling also capable of being effective in one-on-one situations, Chelsea appear to have a number of wingers who can complement Maresca’s aggressive style of play.
Miserable pre-season and 44 players: Maresca’s problems pile up
The approach of a new Premier League season often brings hope, optimism and excitement. But in the case of Chelsea, is it time to worry already?
It may only be the pre-season, but a single win in the five friendlies in the USA will not have been the beginning Maresca, who was preparing for his first season as a coach in the top flight, was looking for.
The Italian named strong teams in those games, but saw his new team concede 12 goals. The visit of Inter Milan, last season’s runaway Serie A winners, in Chelsea’s final pre-season game on Sunday is a daunting prospect.
After leading Leicester to the league title in his only full season as head coach, Maresca was thrown into the water at Stamford Bridge.
The performances were as disappointing as the results: Chelsea’s sloppy attempts to build play from the back contributed to several goals from their opponents.
Chelsea have endured a less than impressive pre-season
Off the pitch Maresca had to reintegrate Enzo Fernandez in the Chelsea dressing room after the racist video posted on social media, while the fans’ favourite Gallagher is heading for the exit stage as the Blues’ sporting directors continue their youth-focused reorganisation of the squad.
Another busy summer means Chelsea’s website lists 44 players in the first-team squad. But if Maresca is hoping for some respite after a tumultuous pre-season, he’ll be disappointed: Manchester City are the opponents for their first Premier League game, live on Vscek August 18th.
But who will be part of the team that will face the champions? Vscek try to clarify a bit… and you can also express your vote…
Read Joe Shread’s full article and have your say on the Chelsea team here.
When does the summer transfer window open and close?
THE Summer Transfer Window 2024 will officially close on August 30 at 11pm (UK time) for the Premier League and 11.30pm (Scotland time).
The Premier League has moved up its Deadline Day to match other major leagues in Europe. The cut-off dates were set following discussions with leagues in England, Germany, Italy, Spain and France.
