Pedro Neto presents Al Hilal with a test of ambition as Malcom exit looms

Al Hilal’s search for a new right winger has become one of the club’s most pressing transfer priorities, with Brazilian forward Malcom expected to leave and the Saudi Pro League side seeking a replacement capable of making an immediate impact.

The club has already explored several attacking options and opened discussions with a number of players, but some of those approaches have not reached the desired conclusion. Attention has now turned to Pedro Neto, the Portuguese forward at Chelsea, who is emerging as one of the leading names under consideration by Al Hilal.

On paper, Neto appears to offer many of the qualities the club is looking for. He can operate in several positions across the forward line, possesses significant pace, creates chances and is capable of moving between the lines. Those attributes could give Simone Inzaghi additional attacking solutions throughout the season.

However, the central question for Al Hilal is whether Neto has been identified as the best footballing option or has instead become the most accessible alternative after other potential deals stalled. That distinction matters for a club competing for every available trophy.

Al Hilal’s original requirement was clear: a winger who could play on the right, add speed and inject greater energy into the attacking third. With Malcom’s departure drawing closer, recruiting a new player in that position has become a necessity rather than a luxury.

Neto’s value, therefore, will be judged by what he adds to the team rather than simply by his arrival as another overseas player. The forward has the technical qualities to become a successful signing, but he is not reliant solely on pace or dribbling.

He can help construct attacks, exploit space and exchange positions with team-mates. He also has the ability to switch quickly from defence to attack, characteristics that would suit the attacking style Inzaghi has said he wants to implement at Al Hilal.

His versatility could also give the Italian manager more tactical flexibility. Neto could be used on the wing or closer to the main striker, while being given licence to move inside and create numerical advantages in dangerous areas. Such freedom could make Al Hilal’s forward line more fluid and difficult to defend against.

Yet a successful transfer will depend on more than reputation or the status attached to the player’s name. Neto would need to settle quickly, build an understanding with Al Hilal’s established stars and cope with the level of expectation surrounding the club.

His arrival would not automatically mean Al Hilal had solved its attacking problem. The Portuguese forward could become the signing that reshapes the team’s attack and gives Inzaghi a new weapon, but he could also be viewed simply as the player brought in to occupy the vacant right-wing position after Malcom’s departure and the failure to complete other deals.

The definitive judgement will not come from the transfer fee or the attention surrounding the move. It will be formed by Neto’s performances once he begins working with his new team and wears the Al Hilal shirt.