Chelsea started the new Premier League season with a defeat as Enzo Maresca’s side were beaten 2-0 by Manchester City on Sunday.
The Blues have been through another rather chaotic summer in the BlueCo era.
Chelsea just seem to keep signing more and more players with Joao Felix nearing a return to Stamford Bridge.
Homegrown ace Conor Gallagher looks set to leave for Atletico Madrid with Chelsea continuing to sell off their academy graduates.
New signings Pedro Neto, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Marc Guiu, Renato Veiga, Tosin Adarabioyo and Filip Jorgensen all had to make do with spots on the bench against City.
The spending continues for Chelsea and Maresca will ultimately need time knit his hefty squad together.
Paul Merson on Pedro Neto
Raheem Sterling appears to be on his way out of Chelsea having seen the Blues bring in another wide man in Neto.
Chelsea signed Neto from Wolverhampton Wanderers in a £54million deal, moving ahead of a host of Premier League suitors.
HITC understands that Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur were among the clubs interested in signing Neto.
Chelsea struck the deal though and Paul Merson feels that Arsenal have missed out by landing the Portuguese wide man.
Neto hit 14 goals and 24 assists in 135 games for Wolves and his reputation has been clear – a quality winger who just picks up too many injuries.
Arsenal chose not to firm up a move for the 24-year-old and Merson has told Sky Sports that he thinks the Gunners have missed out.
Merson noted that Neto could really help take pressure off Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli out wide, claiming that Arsenal have ‘missed a trick’.
Merson added that Chelsea have been ‘very shrewd’ in terms of signing Neto and branded him an ‘incredible’ signing.
“If Chelsea can keep him fit, I think it is an incredible signing,” said Merson. “If you can get Neto on the pitch, he is top draw. I think Arsenal missed a trick with him. If he goes to Arsenal he takes the workload off Saka and Martinelli.”
“Chelsea were very shrewd – they did it very quickly and very quietly. [it’s a] good signing,” he added.
Neto stats v Manchester City
Neto is still settling in at Chelsea but Blues fans were given a glimpse of him in action on Sunday.
The wide man came on for 32 minutes as Chelsea chased an equaliser before eventually falling to Mateo Kovacic’s strike.
Neto certainly showed what he can do, creating two chances and completing one dribble in his brief time on the pitch.
The problem for Neto is finding a place in the side.
Cole Palmer is nailed on to start on the right side or as a number 10 whilst Christopher Nkunku showed some promise on the left flank against City.
Add in that Felix is now set to come in and Neto will need to carve out a role for himself, possibly from the bench in the opening weeks of his Blues career before kicking on.
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