Tottenham Pursue Pedro Neto Amid Chelsea's Transfer Decisions

Tottenham Hotspur’s search for attacking firepower has led them across London – and straight into a stand-off with Chelsea over Pedro Neto.

Roberto De Zerbi’s side, still reeling from a bruising 3-0 opening-day defeat to Brentford, are pushing hard to reshape their forward line before the window shuts. Deals for Manchester City pair Savinho and Omar Marmoush are close, but Spurs want more. They want a headline addition.

Cody Gakpo sits high on their list. Liverpool’s Dutch international is a serious target, but there is no agreement in place and no guarantee one will arrive. Talks are complicated; the price and Liverpool’s willingness to sanction a sale remain major obstacles.

So Spurs are working on alternatives. That’s where Neto comes in.

Chelsea’s £100m stance

Neto, 26, is valued at around £100m by Chelsea. The club rate the Portuguese winger extremely highly and have set their figure with this summer’s wide-player market firmly in mind. He has not been formally put up for sale, but he is not ring-fenced either. For the right offer, Chelsea would listen.

That nuance is what gives Spurs hope – and what makes this one of the more intriguing late-window storylines.

Xabi Alonso’s first Chelsea squad is still taking shape. The club have undergone a significant refresh, with Alonso trying to balance an influx of signings against the need to trim numbers. Neto has already been asked to adapt, used both at wing-back and across the front line as Alonso experiments with his best XI.

Chelsea’s depth in attacking areas is both a blessing and a complication. Neto is important, but he is part of a crowded group.

Saudi interest cools

Chelsea are not the only ones who have weighed up Neto’s price. Al Hilal showed concrete interest earlier in the summer, but according to Fabrizio Romano, the Saudi Pro League side backed away after deeming the deal too expensive. Their attention has now shifted towards Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli.

That decision underlines the size of the financial commitment any club would have to make for Neto. For Spurs, it raises a blunt question: are they prepared to pay a fee that even a Saudi giant has balked at?

London rivalry and Neto’s call

There is another layer. Even if Spurs move decisively, Chelsea must decide whether they are willing to strengthen a London rival at this stage of the window. Letting a versatile, prime-age attacker walk across the capital, with little time to replace him, is a major call.

Neto’s own stance will matter just as much. Would he trade Stamford Bridge for the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium? At Chelsea, he faces rotation and role changes under a new manager. At Spurs, he would walk into a team desperate for attacking spark after a flat, worrying start to the Premier League season.

For now, that question hangs in the air.

Busy exits at Stamford Bridge

While Neto’s future remains uncertain, Chelsea are already deep into their outgoing business.

A loan bid from Roma for Jamie Gittens has been turned down. Mykhailo Mudryk, back in action after the resolution of his doping case, is expected to leave on loan, with Leeds United among the clubs to have seen an offer rejected. Interest in the Ukrainian is widespread, and Chelsea are prepared to be selective.

Alonso’s mandate is clear: streamline the squad for at least the first half of the season. That means more departures, more tough decisions, and possibly one blockbuster call on Neto.

If Spurs can’t land Gakpo, they will be ready. The question now is whether Chelsea are prepared to open the door – and whether Neto is willing to walk through it into the colours of a direct rival.