Youngster Pedro Neto was on trial at Manchester United and Arsenal could have signed him for £38m less than Chelsea
Chelsea are close to signing Wolves striker Pedro Neto, but this is not the Portuguese star's first contact with a top-six club.
Neto has been a standout player for the Midlands club since his arrival from Braga in 2019.
And for many, it would not have come as a surprise after shining as a teenager in the Portuguese league.
It's been five years since a relatively unknown striker first tried his luck in English football.
Pace, cunning and sometimes magic are words associated with the Portuguese star who managed to play a part in his country's campaign for Euro 2024.
But having featured in all three of Portugal's group games this summer, Neto understandably wants more opportunities on the biggest stage.
The 24-year-old looks set to get his wish by moving to Stamford Bridge to join Enzo Marseca's revolution.
The move will give Neto further hopes of winning honours and another chance at European football after featuring for Wolves in their 2019/20 Europa League campaign.
Chelsea's interest in Neto It is no surprise, nor is it anything new for the Portuguese international.
Arsenal and Manchester United both I knew everything about him already in 2016, when he was just 15 years old.
Neto flew to Manchester for a trial while a member of Braga's youth team, but the Red Devils opted not to bring him to Old Trafford.
In 2017, Arsene Wenger was ready to bring Neto to Arsenal and subsequently tabled a £13.2m offer, but Braga's insistence on holding out for £17.6m caused the Gunners to back out of the deal.
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In hindsight, the Gunners could have signed the Wolves star for £38m less than what the Blues are paying.
The disappointment was shared by both sides, with Wenger an enthusiastic suitor and Neto also showing his affection for the red side of north London.
“When I was a kid watching English football, my favourite team was Arsenal because under Arsene Wenger, I thought that as well as winning trophies, they played very good football,” Neto told talkSPORT in 2021.
“I'm at Wolverhampton and I'm very happy. Of course, right now it's the best club in England.”
Allegiances will soon shift from gold to blue as the striker prepares for the biggest move of his career.
Neto knows he must find a way to stand out in a crowd full of attacking talent as Chelsea continue to devise strategies to accommodate their boisterous squad that will almost certainly see discontent in the ranks.
The Portuguese has all the attributes to ensure he is not one of them and must impress quickly in what will be a crucial season for Chelsea, who are aiming to build on last year's impressive late-season turnaround.
