Roy Keane had to hear harsh words about Luke Shaw when he made a harsh judgment about a transfer from Chelsea.
Appearing on Overlap’s Stick to Football podcast, the Manchester United legend was extremely dismissive of the Blues’ new signing Pedro Neto, who recently joined from Wolves for £51.4 million.
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Keane discussed the upcoming 2024/25 Premier League season with Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, Ian Wright and Jill Scott, but disagreed with Wright when it came to predicting who the best player in the league will be.
The former Arsenal striker predicted a strong season for Neto, saying: “You know what a great transfer is, like Neto to Chelsea.”
However, Keane was quick to dismiss this suggestion, citing Neto’s injury history and comparing him to Man United full-back Shaw, who has long struggled with fitness.
He said, “No! He’s always hurt! Damn it. He’s like [Luke] “I was very pleased with the quality of Shaw’s products.”
The Portuguese winger arrives at Stamford Bridge after five years at Molineux, where he had to miss several long periods despite his undeniable talent.
Neto only made 20 league appearances last season, missing eight games in November and December and a further nine games towards the end of the season due to thigh problems.
This, Keane stressed, would only get in the way of a chaotic Chelsea, whose eventful and extravagant summer transfer window will raise eyebrows.
He continued: “He will contribute to chaos. He will contribute to chaos.”
“[He will] Run everywhere and [spend] six months on the treatment table, thigh injury.”
The 24-year-old is the Blues’ ninth summer signing and the club’s most expensive signing, which also includes Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Toisin Adarabioyo, who joined from Leicester and Fulham respectively.
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Pedro Neto’s injury record
- Season 2020/21 – Suffers a broken kneecap and is out of action for eight months
- Season 2022/23 – Five months off due to an ankle injury that required surgery
- Season 2023/24 – Missed a total of 23 games in all competitions due to two thigh injuries
But Neto’s arrival is unlikely to be the last, as recent events have suggested the west Londoners are currently in talks to sign long-time target Victor Osimhen from Napoli and are also reportedly interested in bringing Joao Felix back to the capital from Atletico Madrid.
With Conor Gallagher’s move to Atletico falling through in the opposition half following the collapse of Samu Omorodion’s transfer to Chelsea, it is not difficult to understand Keane’s concern for the club.
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His comments on Shaw come after the Red Devils announced that the defender will be out until the September international break with a calf injury sustained in training.