Matheus Mane at Wolves vs. Manchester City (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
There is a lot of talk in the industry about Matheus Mane, who is attracting strong interest from Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal.
As first reported in my exclusive article for the Daily Briefing, everyone knows the Wolves’ wonderkid’s name at this point, so I thought I’d do a little digging to find out more about his situation.
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Many of my sources have said that Wolves are prepared to lose Mane this summer, especially with relegation to the Championship now almost certain, and that there have already been some early talks about a move.
“Wolves have accepted that it will be very difficult to keep Matheus Mane,” a source told me. “He is one of the most outstanding talents in the country and his rapid progress is no secret to Premier League scouts.”
There has been a lot of speculation mainly about Manchester United signing Mane and they have been mentioned to me as one of his potential suitors, but the information I have so far is that Liverpool are leading the race for the 18-year-old.
Of course, it’s still early enough for things to change, but the Reds have done some early work on the deal and have approached his agent, with early discussions described as “positive.”
Some sources are currently reporting that Liverpool are preparing to sign Mane this summer. However, signing the England youth international won’t come cheap, as Wolves are currently valued at around £50m. I wouldn’t expect Liverpool to be willing to pay it if they were really adamant about it.
One name that hasn’t been mentioned much yet is Arsenal, unless I’m wrong. They are also big fans of Mane and want to spice things up by bringing in more young players this summer.
With an emphasis on winning trophies right away, the Gunners prioritized immediate players like Victor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze and Martin Zvimendi last year, but there are a number of key figures behind the scenes who could push for further signings in a similar vein to William Saliba. Both players have the ability to play regularly right away, but it will take a few years before they reach their peak.
It worked well for Arsenal, especially Saliba, but also for others like Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli. All are players whose value will skyrocket after joining the Gunners.
Mane is liked by Arsenal, but let’s see if they can compete with Liverpool, who currently have an early advantage in the race to sign Mane.
