Pedro Neto has chosen a beautiful day to sign for Chelsea. The sun is shining in west London and there is an air of anticipation and excitement around Stamford Bridge. The first home fixture of the new season is upon us – and kick-off is fast approaching.

Blues fans milling around outside the ground don’t know it, but they are standing a couple of hundred feet away from our latest acquisition. They will soon get their first glimpse of Neto in the flesh when he is introduced to the crowd at half time of our 1-1 draw with Inter Milan.

A few hours earlier, away from the public eye, Neto is at ease in his new surroundings deep inside the Bridge. Of course, this is not his first visit to SW6 but it's the first day he can call it home. No wonder he wears a big grin as he fulfils his media duties.

‘It’s a big club, with big ambitions,’ he tells us inside the Chelsea dressing room, where his shirt will soon hang.

‘I know the history the club has. I’m really looking forward to meeting my teammates, meeting the staff, and meeting everyone else, because I want to make history with the club.

‘It’s a young squad with really talented players. I played against Chelsea last year and I know the team we have. I can’t wait to meet them and work with them because we can do great things.’

Neto already knows Reece James – a friendship formed through social media as they shared recovery ideas – and Renato Veiga, his compatriot who trained with the senior Portugal team in the build-up to the European Championships.

By the end of Sunday, Neto will have been introduced to the rest.

The 24-year-old spoke to Enzo Maresca prior to signing. Now he says he can’t wait to get down to work with the head coach, who will be able to call on the attacker’s services in a variety of different positions.

‘I like to play in the three positions in the front,’ Neto explains. ‘I have played more in the wide areas at Wolves but inside is also good for me, I don’t have a preference.

‘I hope to bring work, I hope to bring faith to the team, to bring wins, to bring goals, to bring assists, and to bring everything to make everybody happy here.’

Neto brought speed, skill and directness to the Wolves attack, regularly terrifying opposition defences. He has already accrued over 100 Premier League appearances, and that number would be higher were it not for injury.

He says he is feeling in ‘peak form’ at the moment, a productive pre-season having followed hot off the back of the three games he played for Portugal at Euro 2024.

His country has a long and proud connection with Chelsea. Neto speaks fondly of Jose Mourinho and the influx of Portuguese players he brought with him two decades ago. Raul Meireles’ name also crops up, as does that of Ricardo Carvalho, now the assistant manager of Portugal.

‘Sometimes he sits on my side of the bus!’ laughs Neto. ‘I have a really good relationship with Ricardo.’ The same goes for our former coach Anthony Barry, also with the Portugal national team now. He expects to hear from them both before the day is out.

It has been a whirlwind weekend for the affable Neto, who is calm, courteous and cultured. He has a lovely manner about him – although anyone who has seen him on the pitch knows the determination and dynamism with which he plays. Now it’s time for him to do just that in the blue of Chelsea.

‘I want to do my best, help the team achieve their goals, and put Chelsea where they deserve to be: at the top,’ Neto pledges.

‘My expectations for myself are always high. The expectations here are high, so I’m looking forward to showing people why I am here, and that I deserve to be at the very top level.’

And as the sun sets across the capital, Chelsea supporters head home from the Bridge excited to see just how high Pedro Neto’s ceiling is.