Manchester City have reportedly made a formal approach to Chelsea winger Pedro Neto’s representatives as they look to overhaul their flanks. That overture has made the 26-year-old Portugal international, who has been Stamford Bridge’s right-channel anchor since 2024, the most combustible subplot of this window.
Clearly the motivation for the pursuit is not merely tactical but personal. City paid about £17 million in compensation to Chelsea to install Enzo Maresca as Pep Guardiola’s successor. The head coach cultivated Neto, who started 30 Premier League games last season and created 1.8 chances per 90 minutes, during his tenure at west London.
Maresca had spoken of his admiration for the winger when he arrived at Stamford Bridge in 2024, saying:
“I’m very excited, he can offer many things. He can play on the right side, he can play on the left side. He’s very good one-on-one. It is one more option we have because there will be many, many games in the season, so we need a big squad.”
Meanwhile, Chelsea have told potential suitors they value the 26-year-old at £70m this summer. Sources close to the club have said they consider Neto to be “extremely, extremely valuable”. The Portuguese bagged 5 goals and 6 assists in 34 appearances last season and is under contract until June 2031. AC Milan and Tottenham are watching the situation; the window closes on August 31.
Joe Cole hailed Chelsea’s unsung hero Pedro Neto
The potential loss of Neto would be a crushing blow to a constituency of supporters who have slowly warmed to his industry. The Portuguese was almost universally hailed as the man of the match after Chelsea’s 1-0 Champions League win over Benfica in October 2025. He played a part in the winning goal at Stamford Bridge that night.
Blues legend Joe Cole, who was a marauding operator himself during his own celebrated spell in west London, gave an emphatic endorsement of the winger on TNT Sports afterwards. His verdict summed up exactly why Chelsea’s hierarchy have been so reluctant to entertain external propositions this summer:
“Neto has been brilliant, he’s the unsung hero of this Chelsea team, the fans will tell you that. He delivers and is always positive. He’s been Chelsea’s best player tonight. He’s a bright spark, very consistent. He’s fast becoming a fans’ favourite at Stamford Bridge. He was Chelsea’s best player tonight by a mile.”
Former Chelsea defender Jason Cundy has also showered similar praise on talkSPORT, insisting that Neto rivalled any wide operator in the country. In west London, the question now is whether such affection can survive the arithmetic of a £70 million proposal. That will be a dilemma for Xabi Alonso to solve before September 1, when he will have Estevão Willian and Geovany Quenda to choose from.