Pedro Neto has officially joined Chelsea from Wolves in a £54 million transfer.
The deal includes an upfront payment of £51.4 million, with an additional £2.6 million in potential add-ons.
Neto, who has signed a seven-year contract, was introduced to Chelsea fans during halftime of the club’s pre-season friendly against Inter Milan at Stamford Bridge.
Expressing his excitement about the move, Neto stated, “I feel really grateful to have joined this club. I have worked really hard in my career to be here and I’m looking forward to getting on the pitch with this shirt.”
Wolves acknowledged the significance of the transfer in a statement, emphasizing that it was “the right deal at the right time” and assuring fans that they are actively seeking replacements for the Portuguese winger.
Despite battling hamstring injuries that sidelined him for three months last season, Neto showcased his talent with three goals and 11 assists.
The 24-year-old, who has earned 10 caps for Portugal and was included in their Euro 2024 squad, adds depth to Chelsea’s wing options alongside Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke, Mykhailo Mudryk, and Raheem Sterling.
This signing brings Chelsea’s total summer acquisitions to ten, with other notable arrivals including Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Filip Jorgensen, Omari Kellyman, Aaron Anselmino, Renato Veiga, Caleb Wiley, Marc Guiu, and Tosin Adarabioyo.
Additionally, the club has secured Palmeiras teenager Estevao Willian, who will join next summer.
Chelsea are also poised to strengthen their attack further with the expected signing of Atletico Madrid striker Samu Omorodion for £34.5 million.
In a related move, Conor Gallagher is set to depart Chelsea for Atletico in a separate £36 million deal. The club has also shown interest in Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley as a possible replacement for Gallagher.
Reflecting on the decision to sell Neto, Wolves remarked, “For the club, it’s the right deal at the right time. It’s hard when it’s someone who everyone has so much affinity for as a person to look at it as a business, but football is a business and it was the right timing and the right deal, so from that perspective, the football club are happy. We’ve been working on options and on targets and that work keeps going. Me and Gary have sat down several times since, but we were sitting down beforehand and talking about it because I think we thought there was a good chance this would happen this summer.”
Chelsea’s head coach, Enzo Maresca, is expected to build his team in a manner reminiscent of Pep Guardiola at Manchester City and Mikel Arteta at Arsenal, making Neto’s signing a strategic one.
Both Guardiola and Arteta utilize dynamic wingers like Bukayo Saka, Jeremy Doku, Gabriel Martinelli, and Jack Grealish, and despite an injury-hit spell at Wolves, Neto has proven his worth as one of the Premier League’s most formidable wingers in one-on-one situations.
Under Gary O’Neil last season, Neto thrived with increased freedom on the pitch. O’Neil had instructed him, “Don’t turn it down, let’s go every single time. Don’t care if you lose it, test him. Let’s go,” and Neto responded with impressive performances, becoming a consistent threat in one-on-one battles.
His productivity was evident, as only Kevin De Bruyne recorded more assists per 90 minutes.
With Neto now in the squad, Chelsea boasts a formidable array of wingers, including Mudryk, Madueke, and Sterling, all capable of delivering in one-on-one situations, aligning perfectly with the aggressive style of play Maresca aims to implement.
