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Chelsea winger Pedro Neto has agreed personal terms with Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal, according to journalist Sacha Tavolieri.
Posting on his X account, the Sky Sports Switzerland reporter confirmed that the Portuguese international has “reached an agreement” over a move to the Middle East.
However, everything now hinges on Al-Hilal matching Chelsea’s asking price, with the Blues only willing to “let him leave” if a team pays around €60m (£51m).
That would be less than the £54m it took to bring the player to Stamford Bridge from Wolves a couple of years ago.
Neto also has Premier League suitors
Manchester City are known to be keen admirers of the winger. It is believed that Enzo Maresca’s side have held talks with his agent.
However, it does appear as if the Cityzens are preoccupied with signing another Chelsea star at the moment – Enzo Fernandez.
Liverpool and Arsenal have also been tentatively linked with Neto, but it seems unlikely that either club will make a formal bid for him before the transfer window closes.
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Why are Chelsea looking to offload the forward?
The system that manager Xabi Alonso uses doesn’t usually operate with traditional wingers, so Neto is not deemed a key player.
Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers are expected to be the two who start behind Joao Pedro in the majority of games, with the likes of Estevao, Jamie Gittens and Geovany Quenda providing added depth.
Neto has had a middling career at Stamford Bridge, having scored 19 goals and provided 19 assists in 103 appearances since his arrival two years ago. While there may be some disappointment if he leaves, especially for the fee reported, he won’t be overly missed.