Benfica boss Bruno Lage names surprise Chelsea player he claims is “one of the best” in the world | OneFootball

Benfica boss Bruno Lage has described Pedro Neto as “one of the best wingers in the world” ahead of the clash with Chelsea.

Lage’s Benfica side take on Chelsea on Saturday night in the last 16 of the Club World Cup with a place in the quarter finals at stake.

Chelsea finished second in their group after suffering defeat to Flamengo, whilst Benfica topped their group after beating Bayern Munich in their final game.

Bruno Lage hails Pedro Neto as one of the best in the world

Enzo Maresca heavily rotated against ES Tunis, but is likely to field a full strength lineup against the Portuguese giants.

That likely means a return to the starting eleven for Neto, who scored against LAFC and Flamengo, and will be looking to add to his tally.

The 25-year-old arrived from Wolves last summer in a deal worth up to £54m, and after a slow start, showed some promising form towards the end of the season, with John Obi Mikel claiming Neto has everything.

Neto has scored twice at the Club World Cup. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

If Chelsea are to get past Benfica then Neto will likely have a big say, and his former boss Lage hailed him as one of best wingers in the world, and also shared his thoughts on Enzo Fernandez.

“There was actually a rumour before Enzo came to Chelsea that he was going to join me at Wolves, so that was funny,” he said as cited on X.com.

“In terms of money, Chelsea have one of the best midfielders in the world.

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“But the player I really know is Pedro Neto. He’s one of the best wingers in the world. He’s so dangerous because he can go either way on the ball.”

Neto managed four goals and six assists in 35 Premier League appearances, and Chelsea will be expecting more from him next season.

Jamie Gittens deal close

Chelsea are in the market for another winger and are currently short in that department following the departure of Jadon Sancho.

Jamie Gittens has been identified as the priority target, and a deal is reportedly close after the Blues had a £42m bid rejected earlier this month.

Gittens has agreed terms on a seven year contract at Stamford Bridge, with Dortmund holding firm on their asking price of £55m.