Arsenal had monitored Pedro Neto for several years but ultimately allowed London rivals Chelsea to secure the Wolves forward due to concerns from manager Mikel Arteta, according to reports.
Chelsea continued their spending spree by signing Neto for £54 million from Wolves last week.
The 24-year-old, who has signed a seven-year contract at Stamford Bridge, was introduced to fans over the weekend during a pre-season friendly against Inter Milan.
Neto spent five seasons at Wolves, where he made a significant impact and became one of the club’s key players, despite facing some injury issues.
Given Arsenal’s long-term interest in Neto, it was surprising to see Chelsea acquire him with relatively little competition.
Arsenal’s owners are eager to strengthen Arteta’s squad at the Emirates Stadium for another title challenge.
However, ESPN reports that Arteta decided against pursuing Neto due to his injury history.
Neto’s injury record has led Manchester United legend Roy Keane to predict that the Portugal international may struggle to make an impact 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 has joined a Chelsea squad that finished sixth in the Premier League last season under former manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Following Pochettino’s departure, the Blues have appointed Enzo Maresca, who was previously with Championship winners Leicester City.
“It’s a big club, with big ambitions,” Pedro 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.”
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.
“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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