Neto recently completed a £54million transfer from Wolves and made his Chelsea debut as a sub in Sunday’s 2-0 defeat to Manchester City.
The Portugal winger has long been tipped for big things and for the past couple of years was linked with Arsenal and Tottenham.
Though his stats – 14 goals and 24 assists in 135 appearances for Wolves – seem a tad underwhelming, Neto has had to overcome several big injuries, including two separate hamstring issues that saw him miss 18 games last season.
Carragher has been scathing of Chelsea’s recent transfer business and tipped the club to finish outside of the top-six in 2024/25, but has tipped Neto to be this season’s ‘impact signing’.
‘But for injuries, I think this is a player that could play for the best teams in the world, I really do believe that,’ the Liverpool legend said on Sky Sports Monday Night Football.
‘He’s a player I’ve watched for Wolves in the last three or four years who I’ve always thought I’d love Liverpool to sign him. I just look at him, the pace of him, the quality on the ball, he scores goals, and I just hope he stays fit.
‘My only worry – again it goes back to Chelsea – is he’s best on the right cutting in on that left foot, probably where Cole Palmer likes to play as well.
‘But I think if Chelsea could keep him fit, I think he’s a special talent him. He’s a player I love to watch, and I actually get down a little bit when I hear he’s injured again even though Wolves are not my team.
‘I’d love to see him stay fit because I think he’s one of the top players in the Premier League when he’s fit.’
However, the arrival of Neto and Portugal teammate Joao Felix means that Stamford Bridge is now overflowing with forwards, with many questioning how Enzo Maresca will line them up.
His other options include Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, Christopher Nkunku, Raheem Sterling, Mykhailo Mudryk, Noni Madueke and Marc Guiu, while Enzo Fernandez and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall can also play as a No.10.
Carragher’s fellow Sky pundit Gary Neville theorised: ‘Felix, whether you think he’s a centre-forward or not, will play in that false nine position with two sort of higher wide players. He needs the two quicker ones, Neto and Nkunku
‘I do think that’s the way in which he’ll look to play him. I don’t think he’ll play him wide. I don’t think he’ll play him as a No.10 that often, I think Cole Palmer’s got to play there.
‘I think he plays Joao Felix there and I think he plays Palmer sort of in behind the two central midfield players which means one of the three – [Moises] Caicedo, Fernandez or [Romeo] Lavia – have to be left out.’
We’ll soo find out what Maresca has up his sleeve when Chelsea travel to Neto’s former club Wolves on Sunday.
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