Journalist Gianluigi Longari has confirmed what many inside the game saw coming weeks ago. Pedro Neto is a concrete option for Al Hilal as the Saudi Pro League giants fill the void left by Malcom’s departure. The report, which is important given Longari’s reliability on Saudi transfer business, places the Chelsea winger firmly on Al Hilal’s radar alongside two other candidates. Pedro Neto transfer news has been simmering since mid-July, but this is the first confirmation that the Riyadh club are serious about him specifically.
Pedro Neto transfer news: Al Hilal target Chelsea winger after Malcom exit
There’s a Tottenham sub-plot too. Spurs have him on their list, but only as a contingency if the Savinho deal collapses. So for now, it’s Al Hilal driving this.
Manchester City made contact weeks back, according to Fabrizio Romano’s report, but quickly stepped away after Chelsea’s price tag registered as far beyond what the Etihad hierarchy were willing to sanction. City’s interest was real, briefly, then it wasn’t.
How Saudi money could affect the outcome of Neto’s transfer
Chelsea put a £100 million valuation on the Man City linked Pedro Neto after he featured in their pre-season friendly against Real Sociedad on 15 August. The timing wasn’t accidental. Reports of a verbal agreement on personal terms between Neto and Al Hilal had already surfaced, and Chelsea’s response was to publicly anchor the fee as high as possible.
At 26, Neto put in a steady season in 2025/26. 34 Premier League appearances, 30 starts, five goals, six assists. Add one goal and one assist across four EFL Cup ties, and an assist in eight Champions League games. Reliable. Productive. Not transformative, but valuable. His 41 completed dribbles led Chelsea’s squad last season, which tells you what he brings in tight spaces.
The numbers, though, don’t scream irreplaceable. 10 goals and 10 assists across 52 appearances in all competitions is a perfectly respectable return, but not one that makes turning down nine figures look sensible. Chelsea’s attacking options are stacked under Alonso, and the financial logic of cashing in is obvious for a club managing their books carefully after years of heavy spending.
Will the Saudi suitors be able to meet Chelsea’s financial demands?
Al Hilal’s opening position sits around €60 million, roughly £51 million. Chelsea want £100 million. That’s a significant gap, but Al Hilal have the resources to close it rapidly once formal talks accelerate. Neto has already privately backed the move, which removes the usual player-resistance variable from the equation entirely.
Chelsea would rather avoid the possible move of another of their players to Man City to reunite with Enzo Maresca as Enzo Fernández another top Blues player continues to be linked with a move to the Etihad as he has not been happy in West London for sometime.
A compromise somewhere around £80–85 million before the 1 September deadline looks the most likely outcome. Chelsea get a profitable exit, Al Hilal get their winger, and Pedro Neto transfer move reaches its conclusion in Riyadh unless the likes of Aston Villa and their genius manager Unai Emery are able to hijack the deal and bring Neto to Aston Villa who can of course offer Champions League football. Whether the Villans can afford the transfer fee or strike a loan to buy deal remains to be seen but Emery can attract big players.