Fabrizio Romano confirms talks underway with Liverpool target who wants Anfield move

Manchester City have reportedly made “direct contact with Pedro Neto‘s camp” to discuss a possible transfer.

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Fabrizio Romano reports on X (formerly Twitter) that the Sky Blues are considering the Portuguese international as a potential replacement for Savinho if the 22-year-old completes a switch to Tottenham.

Any agreement, however, is contingent on Chelsea setting a viable asking price.

It remains to be seen the price point Enzo Maresca’s men will be comfortable with, of course.

As far as Liverpool are concerned, we can appreciate why the Reds have steered clear of this option for the time being.

For starters, the Merseysiders are in active negotiations with PSG to sign Bradley Barcola this summer in a deal that is likely to exceed the £100m mark.

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With a contract set to expire in 2031, it’s fair to assume that Chelsea will demand a serious fee for the versatile attacker, with references likely made for the seismic deals conducted elsewhere in the Premier League.

That all said, it would mean another positionally versatile option is no longer available on the market for Liverpool at a time when they’re still short on cover for Alexander Isak and a naturally right-sided winger.

To be clear, no one expects Neto to be a potentially world-class signing in the window.

But if we’re looking for bodies – and we do need bodies – you could do a lot worse than a footballer who’s demonstrated availability in his last two seasons in English football. And, if reports are to be believed, he wants the move to L4, if it’s a genuine opportunity on the table.

Yes, we would have concerns over goals drying up as and when Isak needs to be substituted or just given a break full stop if his load becomes challenging.

But there are perhaps some encouraging signs to be taken from the 26-year-old’s shot map at Chelsea last term. In the Premier League, for instance, four of Pedro Neto’s five goals were registered in or just outside the penalty box.

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So, perhaps there is some indication there that the left-footed winger could offer a threat from a central position, if Liverpool required him to sub in for Alexander Isak.

On the other hand, a non-penalty xG of 0.16 per 90 (43rd percentile, according to Fotmob) would suggest that Neto struggles to generate high-quality opportunities to score consistently.

And that’s a big problem for a potential Liverpool No.9.

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