“He gives them a different dynamic” - Shaka Hislop hails Chelsea star as signing of the season

Former West Ham United goalkeeper Shaka Hislop has picked Chelsea's Pedro Neto as the signing of the season in the Premier League. He heaped praise on the winger and his ability to make an impact off the bench.

The Blues spent a reported fee of £54 million to sign Neto from Wolverhampton Wanderers in the summer. He has made 15 appearances for the west London side so far, scoring three goals and providing three assists. He's started just nine of those games but has often made an impact off the bench as well.

Shaka Hislop picked Neto as Premier League's signing of the season so far, saying on ESPN FC (via TBR Football):

“Well, he cost Chelsea quite a bit of money. And you knew the player who was coming from Wolves. I just think he gives them a different dynamic in those wide areas. Every time he’s come off the bench he’s changed the game for Chelsea.

“I think he has been one of Chelsea’s brighter lights this season in what has been a very good start to the season for them.”

Neto scored in the Blues' 1-1 draw against London rivals Arsenal at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League before the international break. The draw saw his side overtake the Gunners into the third spot on the table on goal difference.

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Chelsea star Pedro Neto on his mentality helping him through injuries

Pedro Neto has had to deal with loads of injuries in his career so far, especially during his time at Wolves. He first suffered a knee injury in the 2020-21 season that kept him out of action for almost 300 days. An ankle injury in 2022 then kept him out for around 127 days. He's also suffered multiple other hamstring that have kept him out for months.

However, Neto recently explained that he's worked on building a strong mentality from the start and it helped him tackle these tough times. He said (via Chelseafc.com):

"When I went to Italy, one thing I spoke to my agent and my parents about was having a strong mentality. We know how difficult football is when things don’t go well. Even when things go well, you can lose yourself. Sometimes I have to remember what I passed so I can enjoy it even more. It was really hard losing almost two years of football to injury.

"On top of that, my mentality is ingrained in my head: every training I went to it was to improve, and to win. I would never change that because I have no regrets. It’s that which has made me who I am today."

Neto has avoided any injury during his short Chelsea career so far and will hope to maintain it moving forward. He is expected to be in action next when they take on Leicester City away in the Premier League on Saturday, November 23.