Chelsea roll the dice on $65m Premier League assist wizard despite injury record

Chelsea have made yet another big splash in the summer transfer window as the Blues continue to snatch up players while many other teams take a back seat in the relatively slow market.

Todd Boehly has gone out and snatched winger Pedro Neto from Wolves for a £51.4 million (€60m / $65m) fee plus another £3 million in add-ons, according to multiple reports, including Fabrizio Romano and David Ornstein . Romano's report states that Chelsea nearly met Wolves' internal valuation of the player, trigging their willingness to sell.

At 24 years old, Neto has been one of the Premier League's most productive chance providers from the wing in the past few years, with only injuries holding him back. According to Fbref's data , Neto contributed more than an assist every other match in the past year, which puts him in the 99th percentile amongst wingers in Europe.

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Neto is a prolific distributor from wide areas, producing 6.83 crosses per 90 minutes, putting him in the 94th percentile amongst European-based wingers. He can also progress the ball forward effectively, with 3.86 carries into the final third putting him in the 96th percentile.

Neto arrival gives Chelsea questions to answer

There are two big question marks surrounding his arrival at Stamford Bridge. First, Chelsea's chance creation was already in the Premier League's top five last season, as they bagged 77 goals on 80.88 xG according to UnderStat.com . The squad is bursting at the seams with wingers who create chances but don't score them, as Noni Madueke, Mykhaylo Mudrik and Raheem Sterling are already in the mix.

Finishing was a larger concern last campaign, as Nicolas Jackson was poor in front of net and new arrival Marc Guiu is still just 18 years old.

Then, there's Neto's lengthy injury history. The Portugal international has missed an incredible 112 games since joining Wolves in the summer of 2019 with various injuries, including two different absences last season both due to hamstring issues. It means that Neto has played in under 63 per cent of Wolves' matches since he joined the club.

Neto has also made just 10 international appearances since debuting for Portugal four years ago, while being unavailable due to injury in 23 others.

It's a significant risk, but one with strong upside if Chelsea can manage to keep him on the pitch effectively. Neto's ability to play on either flank make him an even more palatable addition despite the drawbacks.