Chelsea sign Pedro Neto: What it means for Sterling, Mudryk & Madueke

Cameron Smith

• 11 Aug 2024 17:30 BST
• 5 min read

Chelsea have officially completed the signing of Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Pedro Neto.

The Blues have paid a reported initial fee of €60 million for the Portugal international, with a further €3m in potential add-ons.

Neto has signed a seven-year contract at Stamford Bridge and he is the ninth player to have joined Chelsea this summer.

READ MORE: Premier League summer transfers 2024 - All the Done Deals

The Blues now have 44 first-team players and their books, as per the club’s website, although there are expected to be numerous outgoings before the summer transfer window ends.

Neto has joined an exciting attacking unit that already contains the likes of Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku. Samu Omorodion is also on the verge of joining the club from Atletico Madrid, while Napoli’s Victor Osimhen remains a target.

However, there are three players who could be heavily impacted by Neto’s arrival: Raheem Sterling, Mykhailo Mudryk and Noni Madueke.

READ MORE: How Chelsea will line up with Pedro Neto

They are the three out-and-out senior wingers currently at Chelsea, with Palmer not quite fitting into this category due to his ability to play as a No.10.

Furthermore, the England international is almost a nailed-on starter after his sublime debut season.

How will Neto’s arrival impact Sterling, Mudryk and Madueke?

One of the main attractions about Neto is his ability to play on either flank. Despite being left-footed, he is equally capable of being deployed as a left winger or as a right winger.

This will be extremely useful to Enzo Maresca, who will be able to play Neto on both flanks across the 2024-25 campaign and beyond.

Sterling is also capable of playing on both sides, but Mudryk and Madueke are solely options on one flank.

Although his tally of 11 goals in 111 Premier League appearances is sub-par at best, Neto enjoyed a great 2023-24 season when fully fit. He notched 11 goal contributions in just 20 English top flight appearances, averaging a goal or an assist every 138 minutes.

STATS

Pedro Neto

F (C)

Wolverhampton

Pedro Neto

F (C)

Wolverhampton

Premier League

2023/24

• 20

  Games

• 2

  Goals

• 9

  Assists

View all stats

By comparison, Sterling averaged a goal contribution every 165 minutes last season, Mudryk notched one every 225 minutes and Madueke provided a league goal or assist every 151 minutes.

There is an argument to be made that Neto may not suit Maresca due to the fact he thrives in counter-attacking scenarios, something Chelsea will look to avoid thanks to their possession-based approach.

However, he is a 1v1 specialist out wide and this is a trait that Maresca loves.

Sterling feels like the player who could lose out most as a result of Neto’s arrival. The ex-England international is now 29 years old, he hasn’t been able to replicate his Manchester City form and he’s a divisive figure among the Chelsea fanbase.

Furthermore, Juventus are interested in signing him, as per Gianluca Di Marzio, meaning Chelsea could look to sell him.

Based solely on form, however, Mudryk would be the one to depart. The Ukraine international has been a massive disappointment since his €70m move from Shakhtar Donetsk, but he has been so underwhelming that there is likely to be very little interest in him.

Mudryk evidently has talent, however performances don’t appear to be improving and Chelsea are unlikely to see a return on their investment unless things drastically change.

As for Madueke, he was arguably Chelsea’s most promising player in pre-season. His end to the 2023-24 season was impressive and he looks capable of playing a key role this year.

However, Newcastle United are interested in a move, and Chelsea may be able to turn a profit on the Englishman this summer.

There is certainly a world in which Sterling, Mudryk and Madueke all remain at Chelsea despite the signing of Neto, but all three will play a far more limited role as a result of the Portuguese winger’s arrival.

A front four of Neto, Nkunku, Palmer and Jackson looks like Chelsea’s strongest attack on paper and Sterling, Mudryk and Madueke will all see their role at Stamford Bridge reduced.

As a result, it's likely that one may push to leave if it becomes clear they're last in the pecking order.