Man City Harbour Interest in Signing 26-Year-Old Chelsea Winger: Reports
Manchester City boss Enzo Maresca has reportedly become a genuine contender to sign his ex-player Pedro Neto from Chelsea. The Portuguese winger flourished under the Italian’s guidance at Stamford Bridge, and that previous connection lies at the heart of the Etihad club’s overtures this summer.
Liverpool are said to have shown tentative interest in Neto, albeit far less fervent at this point, while some figures at Chelsea have discussed the prospect of sanctioning a sale around the €80 million mark. It is not the sort of player the Blues would normally even entertain selling, but they would be willing to discuss it if the price is right.
Under the Italian, Neto recorded 27 goals and assists, while his time at Stamford Bridge overall earned him 19 goals and 19 assists in 103 games after his £54m signing from Wolves two years ago.
City are not yet ready to meet Chelsea’s asking price of about £75 million, with the club’s recruitment department also monitoring RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande and Paris Saint-Germain’s Ibrahim Mbaye. However, a long negotiation is in prospect before the close of the window.
Chelsea Boss Xabi Alonso Rules Over a Thoroughly Recalibrated Squad
The Portuguese international’s predicament is intertwined with the total transformation underway in west London. Chelsea appointed Xabi Alonso as manager on a four-year deal, with the Spaniard officially taking over on July 1, 2026. His arrival is bound to alter the internal hierarchy that Neto so comfortably occupied.
Alonso’s first window has been marked by ambition and pragmatism in equal measure. Chelsea have generated around £130 million from the sales of Marc Cucurella, Andrey Santos and Tyrique George. If you add the hefty compensation from Manchester City for poaching Maresca, these more than cover the £117 million spent on Morgan Rogers.
However, the Blues will still be hampered by UEFA’s strict financial constraints even if they don’t play in Europe this season. That fiscal architecture explains the club’s equivocation on Neto rather perfectly, since profitable trading remains their most reliable instrument.
Alejandro Garnacho is off to Aston Villa, who are also said to be interested in Nicolas Jackson, with Bayer Leverkusen’s Kerim Alajbegovic on the list of Chelsea’s potential incomings. So the remaining business at Chelsea and whether the hierarchy are prepared to sanction another attacking exodus could therefore be crucial to Neto’s future.
