Pedro Neto has agreed personal terms with Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal, according to Sky Switzerland, after holding talks with Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham over a move away from Chelsea.
Neto's Chelsea career and interest
The 26-year-old Portugal winger has been a mainstay in the Chelsea team over the last two seasons, making over 100 appearances since his £54m move from Wolves. He has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge after Chelsea brought in more than ten new signings this summer.
Premier League rivals Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham all expressed interest in signing Neto, who indicated he was open to a summer move. New City boss Enzo Maresca worked with Neto at Chelsea and is keen to welcome his former player to the Etihad Stadium after replacing Pep Guardiola.
Al Hilal deal details
Arsenal also set their sights on signing a new winger after missing out on Real Madrid and Brazil icon Vinicius Junior, while Tottenham admired Neto as they continued a big-spending summer. Despite this interest, Neto is closing in on a move away from England after approving a switch to Saudi Arabia.
Al Hilal are prepared to pay Chelsea around 60m euros (£51m) to secure his signature. Earlier in the summer, it was reported that Chelsea wanted £70m for Neto, but a fee of just over £50m would see them almost recoup the money they spent to sign him in 2024.
Chelsea's pre-season and upcoming opener
Chelsea finished 10th in the Premier League last season, failing to qualify for any European competition, but are expected to improve under former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso. The Blues beat Real Sociedad 3-1 in their final pre-season friendly on Saturday ahead of next weekend's Premier League opener against Fulham.
'It was a very good last preparation game,' Alonso said after the win. 'For some players it was the first one and the last one. For us, there were some good things, some things we can improve. It's normal at this moment for some players. It was great to have all the team together. Some of them after three days could play for 60 minutes. It was the last test. Now we have a whole week to prepare for Fulham, but it was a good feeling in the stadium.'
