Arsenal kept tabs on Pedro Neto for several years but then gave London rivals Chelsea a clear run at the Wolves forward due to Mikel Arteta’s concerns, according to reports.
Chelsea continued their extraordinary spending spree by signing Neto in a £54m deal from Wolves last week.
Neto, who signed a seven-year deal at Stamford Bridge, was presented to fans over the weekend during the pre-season friendly against Inter Milan.
The 24-year-old spent five seasons at Wolves, largely impressing and developing into one of the club’s most important players despite enduring some injury woes.
Neto was a long-term target for Arsenal so it came as somewhat of a surprise that Chelsea quickly secured his signature without a great deal of competition.
The Arsenal owners are keen to bolster Arteta’s squad at the Emirates Stadium ahead of another title tilt but ESPN say the Gunners boss went cold on Neto due to his injury record.
It is Neto’s injury record that has convinced Manchester United legend Roy Keane that the Portugal international will flop at Stamford Bridge.
When ex-Arsenal striker Ian Wright suggested Neto could be one of the signings of the summer, Keane said on The Overlap with Sky Bet: ‘No! He’s always injured! F*** sake. He’s like [Luke] Shaw.
‘He’ll add to the chaos. He’s going to add to the chaos. He will run everywhere and then spend six months on the treatment table with a hamstring injury.’
Neto joins a Chelsea side that finished sixth in the Premier League last season under former manager Mauricio Pochettino.
The Blues poached Enzo Maresca from Championship winners Leicester City following Pochettino’s departure.
‘It’s a big club, with big ambitions,’ Neto told Chelsea’s official website following his move from Wolves.
‘I know the history the club has. I’m really looking forward to meeting my teammates, meeting the staff, and meeting everyone else, because I want to make history with the club.
‘It’s a young squad with really talented players. I played against Chelsea last year and I know the team we have. I can’t wait to meet them and work with them because we can do great things.’
Asked about his favourite position, Neto added: ‘I like to play in the three positions in the front.
‘I have played more in the wide areas at Wolves but inside is also good for me, I don’t have a preference.
‘I hope to bring work, I hope to bring faith to the team, to bring wins, to bring goals, to bring assists, and to bring everything to make everybody happy here.
‘I want to do my best, help the team achieve their goals, and put Chelsea where they deserve to be: at the top,’ Neto pledges.
‘My expectations for myself are always high. The expectations here are high, so I’m looking forward to showing people why I am here, and that I deserve to be at the very top level.’
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