Pedro Neto: Tottenham's Target as Chelsea Faces Transfer Dilemma

Tottenham are scrambling for firepower. Chelsea are sitting on one of the most expensive wide men in Europe. And the clock is ticking on the summer window.

Xabi Alonso’s first Chelsea squad has been ripped up and rebuilt, but one of the key names attracting outside attention is Pedro Neto. The 26-year-old Portuguese winger, now part of Alonso’s new-look setup, has emerged as a serious option for Tottenham as they try to shake off a grim start to their Premier League campaign.

Spurs were hammered 3-0 by Brentford on the opening weekend of the 2026/27 season, a result that sharpened the urgency behind the scenes. Roberto De Zerbi has already been backed heavily: Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson have all arrived, reshaping the squad in his image. Deals for Manchester City’s attacking pair Savinho and Omar Marmoush are close as well, underlining how aggressively Spurs are moving in the market.

Still, De Zerbi wants more goals. Cody Gakpo is a live target, with Tottenham exploring a deal with Liverpool for the Dutch international. That negotiation is far from straightforward, and there is no clarity yet on whether the two clubs can find common ground on a fee.

The recruitment team have not waited around. As the Gakpo talks hang in the balance, Spurs have lined up alternatives. Among those contingency options is Pedro Neto, a player Sky Sports report is firmly on their radar.

Chelsea value Neto at around £100m.

That figure reflects how highly they rate him and how the market has treated top-level wide players this summer. He has not been placed on any formal transfer list, but crucially, he is not considered untouchable at Stamford Bridge. The message is clear: he can go, but only if someone pays the right price.

Al Hilal tested the waters earlier in the window. The Saudi Pro League club showed interest but, according to Fabrizio Romano, have stepped back, viewing Neto as too expensive and switching their attention to Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli instead.

The London dynamic adds another layer. Selling a key attacker to a direct capital rival, this late in the window, is a different decision entirely. Chelsea would have to weigh the financial upside against the competitive risk of strengthening Spurs just as De Zerbi looks to build an attack capable of challenging on multiple fronts.

Neto’s own view cannot be ignored either. Would he be willing to cross the London divide for a Tottenham side still finding its feet under a new manager after a bruising opening-day defeat? Under Alonso, Neto has already been asked to show his versatility, used both at wing-back and across the attacking line as the Spaniard searches for his best XI heading into the season.

Around him, Chelsea’s wider attacking picture is in flux. A loan bid from Roma for Jamie Gittens has already been turned down. Mykhailo Mudryk, back in action after the resolution of his doping case, is expected to leave on loan, with Leeds United seeing an offer rejected amid interest from several other clubs.

All of that points to a frantic finish to Chelsea’s window. Alonso’s squad still looks bloated, and the club are working to trim numbers for at least the first half of the campaign. Whether that cull ultimately includes a blockbuster sale of Pedro Neto to a rival like Spurs may define not just Chelsea’s balance sheet, but the shape of the Premier League’s attacking hierarchy this season.