Arsenal have entered the running to sign Pedro Neto from Chelsea, with the west London club prepared to let the winger leave if their valuation is met, according to multiple reports.
Chelsea insider Simon Phillips first revealed Arsenal's interest at the weekend, saying he had heard from a source that the Gunners were among those tracking Neto. He was clear, however, that it does not yet represent a priority for the club. "I have heard from a source over the weekend that Arsenal are also interested in Neto," Phillips said on his YouTube channel. "I don't believe it's anything like they are prioritising or anything like that, but they are definitely a club who are showing interest in Neto as well, and Neto is appealed by all this interest coming in."
Phillips also indicated the sort of fee Chelsea would expect to receive. He pointed to the asking price sitting in a similar bracket to that of Malo Gusto, which he put at around £70–£75m, though he suggested Neto would fall slightly below that level. Phillips added that Chelsea's position is one of receptiveness rather than actively pushing the player out, stating: "Alonso is more than happy to keep Neto in his squad, as he is with Tosin."
TEAMtalk transfer insider Graeme Bailey had already reported on 6 August that Neto was taking stock of his position at Stamford Bridge. While he is not actively pushing for a move, Bailey noted that the arrivals of Morgan Rogers and Geovany Quenda had sharpened competition for wide attacking places, leaving Neto open to considering the right opportunity. Bailey's reporting indicated Chelsea would require at least £60 million before entering serious talks over any sale.
Neto featured regularly for Chelsea last season, contributing 13 goals and 10 assists across 58 appearances. The 26-year-old also played a prominent role for Portugal at the World Cup, making five starts before their exit at the last-16 stage.
Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta missed out on Morgan Rogers earlier this summer, with the player moving to Chelsea instead. The club were also unable to bring in Vinicius Junior, who rejected a move to the Emirates Stadium and signed a new contract with Real Madrid. Bruno Guimaraes has since arrived from Newcastle for £75 million, joining Christos Tzolis and Illan Meslier among the summer additions.
Sources have told Football Insider that Gabriel Martinelli is likely to leave the Emirates Stadium this summer, with Galatasaray having reportedly submitted a bid and Roma believed to be lining up an offer of their own.
Manchester City are the current favourites to sign Neto, priced at 4/9 with a top UK bookmaker, while Arsenal are listed at 3/1. Al-Hilal are 7/2, Tottenham Hotspur — who are tracking Neto as an alternative to Savinho — are at 5/1, and Liverpool are priced at 8/1.
Reporting: TeamTalk, CaughtOffside, Football Insider.