da leao： Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Pedro Neto is one of the Premier League's most exciting players, and after recovering from a litany of injuries, he looks to be back to his very best.
da bet sport： In Wolves' games against Manchester United, Manchester City, and Liverpool, he stood out as a genuinely sensational talent, so it shouldn't be surprising to hear that some of the league's wealthier clubs are once again circling overhead.
It also shouldn't be a surprise that, according to TeamTalk, Jorge Mendes is now actively looking for a move for Neto in the January window, even though his contract is set to run until summer 2027.
While it's impossible to know the exact fee that the Old Gold would demand for their starman, TalkSPORT reported that it would be somewhere in the region of £50m last summer, which in today's market is fairly reasonable.
Alongside his recent performances, his positional versatility is another reason so many clubs will soon be battling it out for his signature.
Data from OPTA Analyst highlights that of the 5,550 Premier League minutes he has played for Wolves since August 2019, 35% have come as a left-winger, 32% as a right-winger and the remaining 33% have come across the pitch from striker to central midfielder.
His ability to excel on both flanks means that he could fit into any top team in the country.
With that in mind, Football FanCast has taken a look at six of his potential destinations after Wolves and ranked them out of ten for plausibility and fit.
6 Saudi Arabia
Right, so we are kicking things off with a general move to Saudi Arabia and their burgeoning Saudi Pro League.
This would obviously be the most disappointing move he could make from a Premier League fan's perspective, but in the current climate, you simply can't talk about big transfers and not make mention of the most disruptive league we have seen since the heady heights of the Chinese Super League almost a decade ago.
In the summer alone, the Pro League splashed £780m on player signings, and while that is still considerably lower than the Premier League's spend of £1.1bn for the same window, it is a sign that they are not messing around and that this is a serious attempt to build something that will rival the top leagues in Europe.
So would Neto opt to head to the Middle East over a move to one of the 'big six? Maybe. You only have to look at his compatriot and former teammate, Ruben Neves.
Neves was the captain of Wolves and widely regarded as one of the league's best midfielders, so when he joined Al Hilal for £47m in the summer, it was a massive surprise. Granted, Neves is three years older than Neto but is still firmly at the peak of his powers.
Neto also shares the same agent – Gestifute – with Neves, Fabinho, and Jota, who are all Portuguese players who chose the Saudi league over the chance to play in one of Europe's top five.
With all of that said, there is still nothing concrete to suggest that the dynamic winger wants to join the Pro League over another Premier League side. So, we won't give too much credence to any murmurings suggesting otherwise at the moment.
Chances: 2/10
5 Aston Villa
So, onto the first of the interested parties from the Premier League: fellow Midlanders, Aston Villa.
According to TeamTalk, the Villans have an 'interest' in signing Neto in the coming transfer windows, and while that is about all we have to go on, he would undoubtedly make them a much stronger team.
Now, the Villans already spent big on a winger this summer when they signed Moussa Diaby from Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen for around £52m, and so it would be doubtful that Neto would waltz in and displace him as the side's go-to right-winger.
However, with the left wing being contested by Leon Bailey and Emiliano Buendia, there is no reason the superior Wolves man couldn't come in and make that position his own.
That said, with there being few other sources on Villa's interest, the low chance of a game on the right-hand side and the added issue of a rivalry between Wolves and Villa, we aren't sure there is much chance of this move happening.
Chances: 4/10
4 Newcastle United
So, onto the second of the interested parties from the Premier League, the recently mega-wealthy Newcastle United.
According to TeamTalk, the Toon have an 'interest' in signing Pedro Neto either in January or next summer. Now, this feels like a deal that would be incredibly easy for the Magpies to pull off if the reported price tag of £50m is accurate, but would the Wolves man fit into Eddie Howe's side?
Well, his aforementioned versatility would give him the ability to play on either side and given that Newcastle aren't blessed with an abundance of world-class wingers, we reckon that the 23-year-old would stand a very good chance of starting regularly were he to make the move to Tyneside.
On the right-hand side, he would have Miguel Almiron and Jacob Murphy to contend with, and while they're clearly fan favourites, Neto is far and away the most naturally talented of the three.
The left-hand side would be the more difficult position to crack, though, as Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes have also shown themselves to be fantastic Premier League players at points.
Ultimately, this does feel like a move that would make sense for all parties involved, especially seeing as the wages on offer should be pretty hefty given the club's financial position, and yet, as with the Villa links, the rumours are much weaker compared to later ones in this list, and so for the moment anyway, this doesn't feel like it's going to happen.
Chances: 6/10
3 Manchester United
Could Manchester United go in for Neto in January as they attempt to salvage their season after an abysmal start to their Premier League and Champions League Campaign?
Well, according to TeamTalk, Erik ten Hag is a 'huge fan' of the tricky winger, and United have reportedly made moves 'to try and tempt him away from Molineux.'
With United's financial muscle and willingness to spend in recent years, the £50m price tag should pose no problem, but would the former Lazio man start in the Red Devils' best XI?
Well, in short, he would definitely start in the United side and would comfortably be the best right-winger at the club the second he walked through the front door.
His only competition he would face on the right would be Antony and Facundo Pellistri. The latter is too young to be a regular starter, whereas the former has ultimately been a disappointment following his monster move from Ajax in the summer of 2022.
If Neto could replicate the performances he has been putting in this season in the red of United, they might just find themselves rising up the table rather quickly.
There seems to be a bit more credibility behind this potential move and a clear position in the team for him to fill, so this feels like it would be a good move for all involved.
Chances: 7/10
2 Liverpool
Liverpool look like they have got their goal-scoring mojo back this season after a disappointing campaign last year, but could they make their attack even more potent with the addition of Neto?
According to Football Transfers, the Reds have rekindled their interest in the Wolves man in the wake of Al-Ittihad's concerted effort to sign Mohamed Salah towards the end of the summer transfer window, and they would make signing the Portuguese star one of their top priorities were Salah to leave in January or the summer.
Now, if Liverpool lost Salah at any point in the next year, they would undoubtedly be in the most need of a player like Neto amongst the 'big six.' Without the Egyptian, the only dedicated right-winger in the squad would be Scottish youngster Ben Doak, which is not a position the team want to be in.
In fact, with Doak being the only other dedicated right-winger after Salah, Jurgen Klopp and Co would do well to sign Neto anyway, as he could add exceptional cover in that position as well as on the left.
Something else that bodes well for this deal is that Liverpool have done business with Wolves in recent years, namely signing fellow Portuguese winger Diogo Jota for £40m in 2020.
This deal seems plausible and like it would make a real difference for Klopp's side, with or without Salah.
Chances: 8/10
1 Arsenal
Here we are, the most likely destination, and the destination that, for our money, makes the most sense: Arsenal.
The Gunners have reestablished themselves as one of the Premier League's top teams under Mikel Arteta and have been splashing the cash to reflect that in recent windows, meaning that a £50m splurge to sign a player of Neto's quality seems perfectly realistic.
According to the Mirror, the Gunners have retained the interest they had in the Wolves man back in 2022, an interest that has only been intensified by his recent exploits for the Old Gold.
The main reason this deal seems perfect for the north Londoners is the fact that Bukayo Saka has no competition at right-wing and, as such, never seems to get given a break by Arteta. This inability to rest their star player was made abundantly clear when Saka set a new record for consecutive Premier League appearances – 83.
This constant play time finally took its toll on the youngster as he was forced off in the club's Champions League game against Lens in the week and subsequently missed the game against Manchester City during the week.
Signing Neto would allow Arteta to rest Saka and not risk lowering the quality of the XI. He would also be able to cover on the left, making this deal seem like an absolute no-brainer if the club can get it done.
Oh, it also helps that the player is a self-confessed fan of the Gunners.
Chances: 9/10