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Wolverhampton Wanderers may be forced to sell Pedro Neto this summer as the club continues to feel the acute pressure of its financial struggles.
In order to remain compliant with financial fair play (FFP) regulations, Wolves sold Ruben Neves, Nathan Collins and Matheus Nunes for big money last summer. These sales were sufficient for the club to narrowly avoid the type of potential points deduction which beset Everton earlier this season.
However, it did lead to the dramatic decision by Julian Lopetegui to resign as manager a week before the season began, owing to his frustrations at losing three of his most important players.
Wolves appointed Gary O’Neill – let go by Bournemouth despite his heroics in keeping them up last season – in the Spaniard’s place, and have not looked back since. The English manager has presided over an impressive year at Molineux, with his side 10th in the Premier League and through to the fifth round of the FA Cup, playing an exciting brand of fast-paced football.
Many had tipped Wolves for relegation following the mass exodus at the club in the summer, which speaks to just how impressive a job O’Neill has done in relatively difficult circumstances.
At the heart of these performances has been Neto.
The Portuguese winger has been electric for Wolves this season, scoring three goals and providing ten assists in seventeen games. Combining industry with ingenuity, the 23-year-old has been a nightmare for opposition fullbacks to contend with. He’s hard-working, fast, direct and skilful in equal measure.
He’s also positionally flexible, capable of playing on either wing without a drop in quality – a feat which United fans would be forgiven for not thinking possible when looking at the form of Antony and Marcus Rashford when deployed on the opposite flank.
It’s this form and profile which has put Neto firmly between the cross hairs of the league’s biggest teams. United and Arsenal were both linked with a move earlier in the year, and could have good reason to resume their interest this summer.
Pete O’Rourke (footballinsiders247) has now revealed Wolves may be “forced to sell” their prized asset in order to generate funds for their own transfers in the summer.
Sources indicate the Midland clubs will face another uncomfortable transfer window as the pressures of FFP continue. Should they wish to bring any new players to Molineux, O’Rourke contends they “may have to part with one or two top players” first.
The reporter reveals Wolves officials believe Neto “may attract the most interest” in the summer, with a number of Premier League and European clubs “monitoring his situation.”
United have a long-standing interest in Neto with reports as far back as 2021 linking the club with a move for him. The club is reportedly interested in finding a new right-winger this summer, with the INEOS Sport team – soon to be ratified as the new executives of the football operation at Old Trafford – thought to have made the position a priority.
Michael Olise (Crystal Palace) has been mooted as one of United’s first-choice targets but is believed to have a release clause in his contract worth in excess of £60 million.
The Frenchman has also suffered greatly with a recurring hamstring problem, having missed three months for Palace at the start of the season, before re-injuring his hamstring in the recent match against Brighton. The newest injury is described as “serious” by Roy Hodgson.
While Neto has struggled with injuries himself, there is a more random nature to the Portuguese star’s setbacks, in comparison to Olise’s persistent hamstring injuries. This could suggest Neto has simply been unlucky in his time at Molineux, rather than suffering from a more pervasive injury worry like Olise.
A price tag of £50 million has also been suggested as sufficient to prize Neto away from Wolves; this is likely to be a much cheaper deal than the one required for Olise.
With United in desperate need of a more consistent right-winger following expensively unsuccessful deals for Antony and Jadon Sancho, the economic situation at Molineux should be one the club seeks to exploit in the summer.
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