Chelsea line up €40m Francisco Conceição move if Pedro Neto joins Al-Hilal

Chelsea could replace one Portugal international with another, with Francisco Conceição emerging as a leading target if Pedro Neto completes his expected move to Al-Hilal.

Neto's transfer to Saudi Arabia is reportedly moving closer to completion, which could leave Xabi Alonso needing another wide attacker before the transfer deadline.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Chelsea could respond by making an offer worth around €40million for Conceição.

Chelsea's interest currently depends heavily on what happens with Neto.

The 26-year-old is being pursued by Al-Hilal, and reports in England suggest his move to the Saudi Pro League is now close.

Should that deal be completed, Chelsea would have both the need and potentially the funds to move quickly for a replacement.

Conceição is reportedly among the leading candidates.

The 23-year-old offers many of the qualities Chelsea would be looking to replace, with his ability to operate from wide areas and attack defenders directly.

However, convincing the player himself could prove more difficult.

Conceição's current preference is to remain at Juventus.

The Portugal international believes Turin is the right environment for his continued development and is not actively looking for a transfer.

However, his position may not be enough to completely rule out a move.

Juventus remain conscious of their financial situation heading into the final days of the window and could consider a significant sale if the right proposal arrives.

A Chelsea bid of around €40m would reportedly be difficult for the Italian club to reject.

That could create an interesting situation where Juventus are prepared to negotiate despite Conceição preferring to stay.

Conceição joined Juventus from FC Porto and has established himself as an important attacking option in Turin.

Chelsea's interest nevertheless provides Juventus with an opportunity to generate a substantial fee late in the window.

Everything is currently connected to Neto.

If his Al-Hilal transfer falls through, Chelsea may have little reason to accelerate their interest in Conceição.

If Neto leaves Stamford Bridge, however, the Blues could quickly make the Juventus winger one of their priorities for the closing stages of the transfer market.

Neto's future is the first domino that needs to fall. If his move to Al-Hilal is completed, Chelsea could quickly turn towards Conceição and test whether €40m is enough to convince Juventus to sell.

Would Francisco Conceição be the right replacement for Pedro Neto at Chelsea?