Maresca Eyes Experience as City Weigh Up Neto Move
City head to the Seoul World Cup Stadium tomorrow for their second friendly of the Asia tour, but the conversation around the squad has already drifted towards the transfer market. Enzo Maresca, speaking ahead of the K-League All-Stars clash, made no secret of his concern about the experience that has left the building this summer.
Bernardo Silva, John Stones and Nathan Ake have all moved on. That is a lot of know-how out the door in one window, and the manager wants some back in before the season properly begins.
Enter Pedro Neto. The Chelsea winger has been named as a potential City target, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that talks have begun with the Portuguese's camp. The catch? It appears to be a chain reaction that starts with Savinho.
The Savinho Question
Romano's information is that Neto becomes a genuine option if Savinho completes a move to Tottenham. Spurs, we are told, have Neto in their sights as an alternative if they cannot land the Brazilian. City, for their part, are adamant they will not let Savinho go unless a replacement arrives first.
So the dominoes are lined up, but they haven't started falling yet.
Neto, at 26, is a more finished product than the 22-year-old Savinho. He can operate on either flank, his dribbling and pace give defenders trouble, and he knows Maresca from their time together at Chelsea. His numbers from last season read well: 10 goals and 10 assists in 52 appearances. Savinho, by comparison, managed four goals and three assists in 36 games.
If the club view this purely as a swap of output, Neto wins easily.
Two Red Flags
But there are reasons for caution. Neto's injury record is a genuine concern — he battles injuries regularly, even if his 52 appearances last season suggest the problem might be overstated. Then there is the matter of Chelsea's asking price. Neto signed a seven-year contract when he joined from Wolves in August 2024, making him an important piece at Stamford Bridge. The likelihood of them letting him go cheaply is slim.
That fee could be the deciding factor. If Chelsea hold out for a significant sum, the move might simply not stack up.
Savinho, for all his current limitations, has potential. His end product and decision-making need work, but at 22 there is time on his side. City's stance is clear: they will not sell unless a replacement is secured. Neto fits that brief on paper.
Whether the price makes sense is another matter entirely.