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Louis SealeyPublished Sep 24, 2024, 3:59pm|Updated Sep 24, 2024, 4:00pm
Sky Sports icon Jeff Stelling has questioned whether Chelsea summer signing Pedro Neto will already be ‘regretting’ his big-money move to Stamford Bridge.
The Portugal forward ended his five-year spell at Wolves last month to join Chelsea in a deal worth £54m.
Neto, 24, signed a seven-year contract with Chelsea to keep him in west London until 2031.
But former Sky Sports presenter Stelling believes Neto could already be having major doubts about his move to Stamford Bridge.
Neto has featured in six of Chelsea’s seven games so far this season but started just twice, more frequently coming off the bench as a substitute.
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has a host of talented wingers to pick from, including fellow summer additions Joao Felix and Jadon Sancho and the likes of Noni Madueke and Mykhailo Mudryk.
That means Neto will face serious competition for game-time this season and Stelling believes he will be desperate for more minutes, particularly given his injury record in recent years.
‘I mentioned Pedro Neto earlier,’ he said on talkSPORT. ‘I just wonder if he is regretting in any way shape or form his move because he can’t get a start at Chelsea.
‘You do want to see him on the football pitch because he has had so many injuries over the years, he has played so little football.’
Neto could get a chance to stake a claim for a more regular first-team spot on Tuesday night when Chelsea face League Two side Barrow in the Carabao Cup.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Maresca said he intended to rotate his squad for the third-round clash.
‘They are players that train every day very good but unfortunately I cannot give them chances,’ the Italian told reporters.
‘All the players that are not getting so many chances, tomorrow is a good chance for them to get minutes and to hopefully win a game.’
Chelsea fans will be hoping for an exciting cup run but Maresca insisted his priority is the Premier League.
The Blues were beaten by defending champions Manchester City on the opening weekend but have since taken 10 points out of a possible 12 to climb to fifth after five games.
‘I don’t see, in this moment, any competition better than the other one,’ Maresca added. ‘For sure, the main one is the Premier League always.
‘It is the competition you try to do your best always. But in terms of, “this is the most important, this is not important”, that’s not for us.
‘We need to take every game in the same way and then we see in the end if we are close to something and then go for it.;
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