Manchester City have ended their interest in Chelsea winger Pedro Neto after Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal reached an agreement with the London side over the 26-year-old's transfer.

Italian journalist Gianluigi Longari reported on X that Al Hilal have settled both personal terms with Neto and club-to-club terms with Chelsea, effectively shutting the door on City's pursuit of the Portuguese international.

Neto's Chelsea career at a crossroads

Neto arrived at Stamford Bridge in 2024 from Wolverhampton Wanderers following three injury-disrupted campaigns at Molineux. He proved durable enough across his two seasons in west London, appearing in 51 and 52 games respectively, but his output disappointed — just 19 goals across 103 appearances, with no consistent berth on either flank.

With Chelsea having signed Morgan Rogers and new head coach Xabi Alonso expected to deploy a back-three system, Neto's place in the club's plans had become increasingly uncertain. FourFourTwo understands Chelsea are open to selling the winger but have no desire to let the saga spill into the Premier League season, which begins this Friday, when they face Fulham.

Transfermarkt values Neto at €60 million.

City's alternative options

City's interest in Neto was partly shaped by manager Enzo Maresca, who worked with him at Chelsea. With that avenue now closed, journalist Longari noted that Savinho — City's Brazilian winger heavily linked with Tottenham Hotspur — could serve as an alternative target for Al Hilal.

Meanwhile, City are also understood to be pursuing Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez, with Maresca keen to reunite with the Argentine following their time together in west London.

Al Hilal's transfer activity extends beyond Neto: the Saudi club are in talks with Aston Villa over striker Ollie Watkins, while Galatasaray's Victor Osimhen — who has also attracted interest from Arsenal — remains the Saudi side's preferred striking target.

City's summer rebuild continues against a demanding backdrop. They were beaten 3-0 by Premier League champions Arsenal in Maresca's first competitive fixture in charge, underscoring the scale of the task facing the club after Pep Guardiola's departure.