Chelsea sets astronomical price for Pedro Neto: Manchester City and Liverpool warned

London club Chelsea has made its firm stance clear regarding its talented winger Pedro Neto. The Blues warned their main Premier League rivals, Manchester City and Liverpool, that they will not let the Portuguese player go cheap. This decision is explained by the sharp rise in overall prices on the European transfer market. This is reported by Goal.com .

Citing Daily Mail, Goal.com reports that Chelsea's management is currently under no pressure to sell Neto. However, if a suitable offer arrives, the club leadership will evaluate him based on modern market demands. Due to the current shortage of top-level wingers in Europe, the price for players in such a role has reached record levels.

New benchmarks in the transfer market

The high asking price set by Chelsea has been directly influenced by transfer processes at other top clubs. In particular, the situation surrounding Paris Saint-Germain member Bradley Barcola and his €90 million price tag serves as a specific benchmark for the Londoners. Additionally, Real Madrid's rejected €100 million package (90+10m) for RB Leipzig star Yan Diomande clearly demonstrated the inflation in the market.

Manchester City and Liverpool have long shown interest in transferring 26-year-old Pedro Neto. When the player is fit, he becomes a true creative force on the pitch and can decide the outcome of a match. Therefore, Pep Guardiola and Liverpool's new coaching staff want him in their squad. However, Chelsea intends to maximize financial gain from this interest.

An additional advantage for Chelsea in negotiations is provided by clubs from the Saudi Pro League. The interest of Arab clubs in the Portuguese star gives the Londoners leverage to drive up the price and negotiate with English giants. This could make the transfer even more difficult for Manchester City and Liverpool.

Maresca and Neto's future

Interestingly, Enzo Maresca, who works in Manchester City's coaching staff, was a huge fan of Neto back when he worked in the Chelsea system. He highly rated the Portuguese player's capabilities on the right wing. This factor is expected to further increase the Citizens' determination regarding the transfer.

Currently, Pedro Neto is ignoring transfer rumors and focusing on his recovery process and rest. Since he participated in the World Cup with the Portugal national team, he was granted an additional vacation by the club's management. Therefore, the player is not participating in the team's pre-season tour to Sydney.

In conclusion, Chelsea will not simply let their leader go. If Manchester City or Liverpool want to pull off this transfer, they will have to part with a sum of at least €90-100 million. Otherwise, Neto is likely to spend next season at Stamford Bridge.