Al Hilal’s pursuit of a new right winger has become one of the club’s most pressing transfer priorities, with Malcom de Oliveira’s possible departure increasing the need for a player who can provide an immediate attacking replacement. The Saudi club have now turned their attention to Pedro Neto, the Chelsea forward, after exploring several other options without completing some of those deals.
Al Hilal have made contact with a number of attacking players in recent weeks as they seek to strengthen their forward line. Those efforts have not produced the desired outcome in every case, leaving Pedro Neto as one of the leading names currently under consideration by the club’s management.
On paper, the Portugal international appears to offer many of the qualities Al Hilal are looking for. Neto can operate in several positions across the front three, has the pace to threaten defenders and is capable of creating chances as well as moving into spaces between the lines.
Those attributes could give Simone Inzaghi additional tactical options during the season. The Italian manager has expressed his desire to implement an attacking style of football at Al Hilal, and Neto’s versatility would allow him to adjust the shape and movement of the team’s forward line.
The central question, however, is whether Al Hilal regard Neto as the best footballing choice for their project or whether he has become the most available solution after other transfer targets proved difficult to secure. That distinction matters for a club competing for every major honour.
Replacing the position left open by Malcom is not, in itself, enough. Al Hilal need a winger who can add something new to the team rather than simply occupy the place of an outgoing overseas player. The club have been searching specifically for a right-sided attacker who can bring greater speed and energy to the final third, making the signing of a new player increasingly essential rather than optional.
From a technical perspective, Neto has the profile to become a successful addition. His game is not based solely on acceleration and dribbling. He can also help build attacks, find space, exchange positions with team-mates and move quickly from defensive situations into forward attacks.
That combination could suit the football Inzaghi wants to develop. Neto’s ability to play both wide and closer to the main striker would give the manager more freedom when planning matches. He could be asked to hold his position on the wing, move inside to create an extra player in dangerous areas or link with the other attackers through the middle.
Such flexibility may make Al Hilal’s attack less predictable and more fluid. It would also allow Inzaghi to alter the player’s role during matches without necessarily making a substitution, providing another way to respond to different opponents and situations.
Yet the success of any potential move will depend on more than Neto’s reputation or the attention surrounding the transfer. He would have to adapt quickly to a new team, build an understanding with Al Hilal’s established stars and cope with the high expectations that come with playing for the club.
His arrival, therefore, would not automatically represent the ideal answer to Al Hilal’s needs. The club must determine whether his characteristics match the demands of their wider sporting project, rather than judging the deal only by the fact that Malcom could leave and other negotiations have stalled.
Pedro Neto could ultimately become a signing capable of reshaping Al Hilal’s attack and giving Inzaghi a valuable new weapon. Equally, he could be viewed simply as the player brought in to fill the right-wing vacancy created by Malcom’s departure.
The final verdict will not be decided by the transfer fee or the publicity around the move. It will be determined by Neto’s performances once he starts working with his new team and wearing the Al Hilal shirt.
