Wolves have made a bid for a player they’ve been after for a time, and he could be the ideal successor to Pedro Neto’s throne at Molineux.
Gary O’Neil is aware that if he invests in Wolves this summer, he may have to give up one of his crown jewels at Molineux. Pedro Neto is the most likely candidate to depart the club, with Arsenal expressing interest in the promising Portuguese winger.
According to the Athletic, there is a consensus that the upcoming transfer window may be the best time for Neto to depart, and Wolves will not’stand in his way’ if the £60 million valuation is achieved.
The 24-year-old’s season was plagued by recurrent hamstring injuries, which have been a common theme.
During his time at Wolverhampton, Neto continued to make the goods. He scored two goals and provided nine assists in 20 Premier League matches, finishing just four points behind the league’s top creator, Ollie Watkins.
With the Portuguese international about to leave after five years, Wolves may have discovered a ready-made successor for him. Wolves bid £12.7 million for Braga’s Rodrigo Gomes.
Rodrigo Gomes has been a target for Wolves for some time, and it was claimed last week that the gifted winger was in advanced talks to join Champions League club Atletico Madrid.
The Spanish were claimed to have bid £12.7 million for the 20-year-old, at which time all hope was lost.
It seemed impossible to outbid a club of Atletico’s prestige for a player, but Portuguese outlet Record – as relayed by Sport Witness – has stated that Wolves have matched their offer.
The Old Gold are eager to ‘fight’ for a player they scouted multiple times last season, and while acquiring the intriguing teenager may be out of their reach, the club are demonstrating ambition that must be duplicated across the window.
Wolves’ Portuguese links could give them an edge.
When super agent Jorge Mendes dictated numerous transfers during Fosun’s early years at Molineux, he was able to bring in some of the top Portuguese players on the continent.
Rui Patricio, Ruben Neves, Diogo Jota, Neto, and Joao Moutinho all arrived during Wolves’ most successful time, when the club qualified for Europe twice under Nuno Espirito Santo.
In a transfer tug of war with a European superpower, the Old Gold must use every trick in their arsenal to persuade Gomes to join the club.
Their capacity to foster and develop some of the world’s greatest Portuguese players is one of the reasons why the “top-class” 20-year-old should join the club.
He will have witnessed Neto’s development into one of the Premier League’s most sought-after wingers since his arrival in 2019, and with O’Neil’s coaching, he may become the heir to his crown.
The 2003-born winger had a fantastic season on loan at Estoril, scoring seven goals and providing seven assists, and his offensive statistics suggest he has the potential to be a major hit in England.
Last season in the Premeira Liga, he was placed in the top 2% of wingers for progressive carries, the top 3% for touches (att pen), and the top 4% for non-penalty xG per 90 minutes.
Those numbers, in particular, illustrate why he’s being pursued by Atletico Madrid, so if Wolves can entice him to Molineux, a fee £12.7 million would be a bargain.
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