Chelsea have accomplished a £54m deal to signal Pedro Neto from Wolves.
The funds are damaged up into an preliminary £51.4m plus £2.6m in add-ons, with the ahead signing a seven-year deal. Neto was paraded at half time at Stamford Bridge throughout Sunday’s pre-season pleasant with Inter Milan.
“I feel really grateful to have joined this club,” stated the 24-year-old. “I have worked really hard in my career to be here and I’m looking forward to getting on the pitch with this shirt.”
Pedro Neto was unveiled to Chelsea followers at half-time of the pre-season match in opposition to Inter Milan
A Wolves assertion stated it was “the right deal at the right time” for the membership and that work “on options and targets” to switch Neto was ongoing.
With three targets and 11 assists, Neto – who was additionally of curiosity to Tottenham this summer season – confirmed some wonderful kind for Wolves final season, regardless of struggling two completely different hamstring accidents and lacking three months of motion.
The Portuguese winger, who has been capped 10 occasions by his nation and was named of their Euro 2024 squad, joins Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke, Mykhailo Mudryk and Raheem Sterling as vast choices forward of the brand new season.
Pedro Neto has signed for Chelsea from Wolves
Neto is Chelsea’s ninth summer season signing – with Kiernan Dewsbury-Corridor, Filip Jorgensen, Omari Kellyman, Aaron Anselmino, Renato Veiga, Caleb Wiley, Marc Guiu and Tosin Adarabioyo including to Enzo Maresca’s squad for the brand new season.
The Blues are additionally set to signal Atletico Madrid striker Samu Omorodion in a £34.5m deal, with midfielder Conor Gallagher set to maneuver in the wrong way in a separate £36m switch.
Chelsea have additionally held an curiosity in Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley as a possible substitute for Gallagher.
Wolves’ assertion learn: “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 have been engaged on choices and on targets and that work retains going. Me and Gary have sat down a number of occasions since, however we have been sitting down beforehand and speaking about it as a result of I believe we thought there was a great probability this could occur this summer season.”
Why have Chelsea signed Neto?
Sky Sports activities’ Sam Blitz:
If Maresca goes to construct his Chelsea staff in an analogous mould to Pep Guardiola at Man Metropolis and Mikel Arteta at Arsenal, then Neto was a must-buy.
Each Guardiola and Arteta depend on “one-on-one explorers” down the flanks – Bukayo Saka, Jeremy Doku, Gabriel Martinelli and Jack Grealish spring to thoughts – and even over an injury-hit spell at Wolves, Neto has confirmed to be one of many best-attacking wingers within the Premier League in particular person working battles.
Final season, Gary O’Neil took the shackles off Neto. “Don’t turn it down, let’s go every single time. Don’t care if you lose it, test him. Let’s go,” stated O’Neil final season when requested about his particular person directions to the Portuguese winger.
And Neto obliged. The 24-year-old was consistently concerned in one-on-one battles final season however most crucially, there was finish product too. Solely Kevin De Bruyne averaged extra assists per 90 minutes than Neto, who has the posh of being equally efficient on both flank.
With Mudryk, Madueke and Sterling additionally able to one-on-one effectiveness, Chelsea seem like they’ve an array of wingers to enhance the aggressive model of play Maresca needs.
Learn Joe Shread’s full function and have your say on the Chelsea squad right here.
When does the summer season switch window open and shut?
The 2024 summer season switch window formally closes on August 30 at 11pm UK time within the Premier League and 11.30pm in Scotland.
The Premier League has introduced ahead Deadline Day to hyperlink up with the opposite main leagues in Europe. The deadlines have been set following discussions with the leagues in England, Germany, Italy, Spain and France.
