Chelsea demand €80m as Barcelona target electric forward – shock report | OneFootball

Barcelona have landed on Pedro Neto as a new transfer target ahead of their trip to Chelsea on Tuesday night, a report has claimed.

Chelsea will host Barcelona at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League, as Enzo Maresca’s side look to build on their recent wins over Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley. It is a huge week for Chelsea as they will also host Premier League leaders Arsenal in a huge clash on Sunday afternoon.

According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, Barcelona hold surprise interest in Neto and see him as a ‘perfect’ addition to improve their attack.

Pedro Neto: The story so far

Barca supposedly feel Neto would thrive in LaLiga, given how well he has performed in England this campaign.

The pursuit is being led by Deco, Barca’s sporting director.

Neto has been identified as a signing who could fill in for Lamine Yamal on the right flank when the Spaniard is injured. Barca officials are worried about Yamal’s long-term fitness, despite him stepping up his return from a groin issue.

Barca raid on Chelsea would be huge surprise

Due to Neto’s versatility, he could also star on the left flank in Hansi Flick’s 4-3-3 formation.

It is unclear what such a deal would mean for Marcus Rashford, who is on loan at the Catalan giants from Manchester United.

Fichajes add that Barca would need to pay €80million (£70m / $92m) to convince Chelsea to sell Neto. The Blues originally paid Wolves £54m for his services and would want to make a profit before sanctioning any departure.

Given Barca’s tricky financial situation, an €80m swoop for Neto makes little sense. Instead, they should prioritise a €30m (£26m / $35m) deal to make Rashford’s loan move permanent.

Neto is a fantastic winger, but Rashford is far cheaper and is already settled in Catalonia. The Englishman has silenced his critics and got off to a brilliant start under Flick.

Fichajes is one of Spain’s more unreliable transfer news outlets, so Neto moving to Barca appears unlikely. It could be an attempt by sources in Spain to try to unsettle the Chelsea harmony before the two sides face off in the Champions League.

Interestingly, Rashford has been linked with a move to Chelsea, though he appears happy at Barca and will likely push to join them on a permanent basis in the summer.

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Murillo, Rayan and Felipe Morais are three players Chelsea and Barca could actually compete for.