A Chelsea player who has yet to score in the Premier League this season has surprisingly been labeled as the ‘signing of the summer.’
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Chelsea continued their remarkable spending spree during the last summer transfer window, acquiring players like Tosin Adarabioyo, Omari Kellyman, Marc Guiu, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Renato Veiga, Joao Felix, and Jadon Sancho.. .Continue Reading
Among the signings, the Blues paid £54m to secure Pedro Neto from Wolves, and former Chelsea defender Glen Johnson has called the Portuguese winger the ‘best signing of the summer.’
Neto, who scored 14 goals in 135 games for Wolves, showed promise despite struggling with injuries during his time at Molineux.
The 24-year-old has not found the net in eight Premier League appearances this season but has managed to contribute two goals in cup competitions for Chelsea.
Ex-England defender Johnson acknowledges that Neto ‘hasn’t looked his best yet’ but is eager to see how the winger performs once he reaches ‘top form.’
When asked which Premier League signing he is most excited about, Johnson told Betfred: ‘He’s not looked the best so far, but I do believe that Pedro Neto was the best signing of the summer.
‘I’m looking forward to seeing him get into top gear. He has a huge reputation and was signed for a lot of money.
‘We’ve already seen what he’s capable of doing when he was at Wolves, but now we need to wait and see if he can do it for a top team.’
Neto came on for Jadon Sancho at the start of the second half during Chelsea’s Premier League match against Liverpool on Sunday, but he was unable to stop the Blues from falling to a 2-1 loss against the league leaders.
Asked whether he expects Neto to replace Sancho in the team, Johnson added: ‘Neto’s a fantastic player.
‘When he finds his form and gets some regular gametime, then of course he could occupy that position because there was a reason why Chelsea bought him for a lot of money.
‘Sancho is a player that needs to be happy because nobody can question his ability, so it’s good to watch him bouncing back.
‘He needs to be more consistent, but it’s a fantastic problem for Chelsea to have because having those two happy, in form and playing for the same spot means that the club is doing something right.’
Chelsea earned considerable praise for their display at Anfield, despite coming away with no points. Enzo Maresca’s team pushed Liverpool to the limit, demonstrating that they have the potential to continue competing for a top-four finish this season.
The defeat marked only Chelsea’s second loss in the Premier League under Maresca, with the team currently sitting in sixth place, just three points off the Champions League positions.
Johnson, who predicted a top-four finish for Chelsea before the season began, is confident in sticking with that forecast based on their performances so far.
‘I’m going to remain loyal and say Chelsea,’ he said. ‘I still believe that they have a lot more to give.
‘Aston Villa have been consistently good for the last few years, so they’re not going to go anywhere, but as long as Chelsea finish ahead of them, they should end up in the top four.’
Asked to rate Tottenham & Manchester United’s chances of gate-crashing the top-four, Johnson added: ‘I wouldn’t say they are out of the running because they’re two fantastic sides with fantastic players, but they’re both just waiting for the penny to drop.
‘They’re both capable of anything. If both of them won 3-0 next week, I wouldn’t be surprised, and if they both lost 3-0 next week, I wouldn’t be surprised.
‘If the penny drops with both of them, then they’ll both be in the race to finish in the top four.’
