With general disbelief over their ever-inflating squad size and addiction to transfers, Chelsea recently added more names in Portuguese pair Pedro Neto (£6.5m) and Joao Felix (£6.5m).
One arrived from Wolverhampton Wanderers for a fee up to £54m, whereas the other returned permanently to the club where he spent the second half of 2022/23, this time for around £46.3m.
The last week has already shown Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers that this large, rotatable squad is hard to put long-term faith in, leading to a nosedive in Christopher Nkunku‘s (£6.4m) popularity.
- READ MORE: Who are the best Nkunku replacements?
But can these two force themselves to the front of the queue, get regular starts and become FPL options?
We’ll take a look during this Scout Report piece, including data and images from our Premium Members Area.
HISTORY
Neto was barely 17 when he and Braga team-mate Bruno Jordao were loaned to Lazio with an obligation to buy for €26m. This was a curious move, especially as it wasn’t until the 2018/19 season that he made his first-team debut.
Five took place, all from the bench, before shifting to Wolves to really kick-start his career.
PEDRO NETO’S LEAGUE RECORD
| SEASON | CLUB | DIVISION | STARTS (SUB) | GOALS | ASSISTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023/24 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Premier League | 18 (2) | 2 | 11 |
| 2022/23 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Premier League | 13 (5) | 0 | 2 |
| 2021/22 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Premier League | 5 (8) | 1 | 1 |
| 2020/21 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Premier League | 30 (1) | 5 | 8 |
| 2019/20 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Premier League | 9 (20) | 3 | 3 |
His early appearances were usually as an impact sub, although a December start at Liverpool brought an equaliser that VAR controversially ruled out.
However, it’s hard to ignore the fact that Neto’s last three campaigns have been plagued with injuries.
Transfermarkt shows a serious knee issue that kept him out for most of 2021/22, a four-month ankle problem and fairly frequent hamstring pulls.
One of these stopped a great opening to last season. Attacking returns in eight successive matches from Gameweeks 3 to 10, assisting on eight occasions. Another two arrived later on, meaning only Kevin De Bruyne (£9.6m) ended with more per 90 (0.53). But it’s worth noting that Neto far exceeded his 3.70 expected assists (xA).
Meanwhile, fellow 24-year-old Felix often finds himself judged against something out of his control – the gigantic £113 million fee that Atletico Madrid spent on him.
The then-teenager had only one season in Benfica’s first team, bagging 15 goals and a league title. Adding to the hype, his quarter-final hat-trick versus Frankfurt set a Europa League age record that remains to this day (19 years, 152 days).
All of this convinced Atleti that he was the ideal replacement for Antoine Griezmann.
JOAO FELIX’S LEAGUE RECORD
| SEASON | CLUB | DIVISION | STARTS (SUB) | GOALS | ASSISTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023/24 | Barcelona (loan) | La Liga | 18 (12) | 7 | 3 |
| 2022/23 | Chelsea (loan) | Premier League | 11 (5) | 4 | 0 |
| 2022/23 | Atletico Madrid | La Liga | 7 (7) | 4 | 3 |
| 2021/22 | Atletico Madrid | La Liga | 13 (11) | 8 | 4 |
| 2020/21 | Atletico Madrid | La Liga | 14 (17) | 7 | 6 |
| 2019/20 | Atletico Madrid | La Liga | 21 (6) | 6 | 1 |
| 2018/19 | Benfica | Primeira Liga | 21 (5) | 15 | 9 |
Quickly named the 2019 Golden Boy, Felix couldn’t quite fit into Diego Simeone’s system. That being said, in the attacker’s second La Liga campaign, he still played a role in their league title success. This was despite playing most of it with a broken bone in his foot.
Supporters named Felix their ‘Player of the Season’ for 2021/22, yet things deteriorated further under Simeone by the following January. That’s when his first spell at Chelsea took place, introducing himself with a debut red card for lunging into Kenny Tete (£4.5m).
Last season was spent on loan at Barcelona, naturally scoring in both meetings with Atletico. But it wasn’t enough to develop a permanent move, allowing the Blues to step in and provide Simeone with a way to afford Conor Gallagher.
PLAYING STYLE
These two combined to score Chelsea’s sixth goal last weekend. Racing onto a Cole Palmer (£10.5m) pass down the left flank, Neto pulled the ball back for Felix to sweep home.
His speed and work rate are ideal for more direct play and both were on display here. So was his versatility. Wolves tended to favour Neto on the right wing, cutting inside on his stronger left foot to devastating effect.
Even so, the 2023/24 chart above shows he regularly turned up on the left, showcasing his crossing and dribbling strengths.
“I like to play in the three positions in the front. I have played more in the wide areas at Wolves but inside is also good for me, I don’t have a preference.” Pedro Neto, to club’s website
Being open-minded about this will please head coach Enzo Maresca. As for Felix, a useful ‘My Game in My Words’ piece for The Athletic reveals his preference to either play with a strike partner or be just behind.
“My best position is as the second forward. Playing like a number 10, with a guy in front of me.” – Joao Felix
A dribbler with excellent movement and superb key passes, this right-footer likes to entertain.
“I always liked to go past defenders. It is a great way to play. When I can do it, I try it. The fans enjoy it.” – Joao Felix
WHERE NETO + FELIX FIT IN AT CHELSEA
If only we knew. Both of Neto’s Premier League cameos have been on the left and he started the first Europa Conference League match against Servette but there’s competition from Mykhailo Mudryk (£6.4m) and occasionally Nkunku.
Raheem Sterling (£6.9m) may be heading for the exit door but, over the right side, Noni Madueke (£6.5m) is fresh from a hat-trick.
“I’m very excited, he can offer many things. He can play on the right side, he can play on the left side, he’s very good one-on-one. It is one more option we have because there will be many, many games in the season, so we need a big squad.” – Enzo Maresca on Pedro Neto
Whilst Palmer might now be thought of as a central player, rather than out wide, this doesn’t bode well for Felix. He already shares the spot with Nkunku.
“The good thing about Joao is that he can play many positions, which is very helpful for us. He can play inside, outside, he can play as a number nine and this versatility is one of the reasons why we have signed him.” – Enzo Maresca on Joao Felix
ARE THEY WORTH BUYING IN FPL?
It’s recommended to stay away from Neto and especially Felix – at least initially.
The immediate fixtures look good, ranking third-best on our Season Ticker over the next five Gameweeks, but then they are third-worst for the following six.
The large squad brings bad news for those seeking consistent game time. Apart from Palmer, nobody looks nailed-on – managers have learnt this the hard way with Nkunku.
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