Premier League giants Chelsea plan to complete the signing of Portugal international Pedro Neto by Monday with Wolves confirming that the deal is worth £54 million.
- Exclusive from Graeme Bailey
With yet another hectic summer set to come to an end over the next three weeks, big-spending Chelsea are working hard to add yet more faces to their already colossal squad.
Enzo Maresca’s side confirmed the arrival of Argentinian youngster Aaron Anselmino in a £20 million deal from Boca Juniors earlier this week. Teenage KRC Genk goalkeeper Mike Penders is set to complete his move too, Chelsea bringing in yet another talented shot-stopper after luring Filip Jorgensen away from Villarreal.
But while Anselmino and Penders are very much signings with the long-term in mind, Pedro Neto will arrive at Stamford Bridge with the idea of immediately slotting into Maresca’s first XI.
The 24-year-old speed-demon has spent the last five years at Wolverhampton Wanderers, joining from Lazio back in 2019.
Pedro Neto has blossomed into one of the Premier League’s most fearsome wingers when fully fit since then, providing 11 assists in all competitions last season.
Chelsea set to sign Wolves’ Pedro Neto for £54 million
It emerged on Friday that Chelsea were closing in on a bolt-from-the-blue deal for Wolves’ number seven.
Sources at the Molineux outfit have now confirmed to HITC that the fee will be £54 million. As such, Neto will be the most expensive signing Chelsea have made this year, overtaking the fee they paid top-flight newcomers Leicester City to reunite Maresca with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
HITC can also reveal that Neto is set to undergo a medical at Chelsea imminently. The two-time European Champions hope to officially confirm the signing by Monday.
A rather old-school winger who loves to race by the byline and whip crosses into the box with his favoured left boot, Neto will offer something different to Chelsea’s attack.
A new dimension, alongside a host of inverted widemen like Raheem Sterling, Noni Madueke and talisman Cole Palmer. What Neto’s arrival means for Sterling and Madueke – not to mention the inconsistent Mykhaylo Mudryk – remains to be seen.
There will be some Chelsea supporters concerned, however, about Neto’s worrisome injury record.
He missed four months of the 2023/24 campaign with a recurring hamstring issue. In total, since moving to England from Italy, Neto has been unavailable for no fewer than 112 matches.
But when he is free from those injury issues, Neto is the sort of game-changing forward capable of turning any match on it’s head.
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp labelled Neto a ‘world-class player’ back in 2023.
His fearsome start to last season, meanwhile, had Wolves boss Gary O’Neil raving about the talent and work-rate of a player who, HITC understands, was also on the radars of Arsenal and Liverpool.
Man City have also looked at him with Julian Alvarez agreeing an £80 million move to Atletico Madrid.
Wolves may have already signed Neto’s replacement
“He has been absolutely incredible for the six or seven weeks I have been here,” O’Neil told the BBC after Neto scored a fine goal against Luton Town last September.
That, largely due to those long spells on the sidelines, was Neto’s first top-flight goal of the calendar year.
“His work rate, the way he trains, playing within the shape and structure and taking information on board…” O’Neil added.
“He is incredibly talented and physically very gifted as well.”
Wolves, at least, have Rodrigo Gomes ready to step up and potentially help offset Neto’s departure. The £12.7 million signing from Braga shares many similarities with the Chelsea-bound forward, and has dazzled during pre-season.
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