Who is Pedro Neto? The Wolves star wanted by Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal

David Lynch

• Updated: 19 May 2021 14:39 BST
• 4 min read

A breath of fresh air on their return to the Premier League in 2018, Wolves are finding the going a lot tougher in their third season back in the top flight.

Missing injured striker Raul Jimenez and coming up against sides more familiar with their approach, Nuno Espirito Santo’s men sit nine points shy of seventh place – their finishing place in each of the last two campaigns.

However, there has been one major positive for the Molineux club during a more tricky 2020-21: the impressive form of Pedro Neto.

Much to the delight of Wolves fans, the 20-year-old is enjoying something of a breakout season, though his impressive performances are something of a double-edged sword in that they have led to talk of transfer interest.

What position does Pedro Neto play in?

The tactically flexible Neto has been asked to play off the right wing, as a centre forward, and even as deep as central midfield at times this season.

However, he is without doubt most at home on the left-hand side of a three-man attack, dribbling beyond the full-back and getting shots and crosses away.

The Portuguese strongly favours his left foot, though, meaning he is more than capable of cutting in off the right.

How good is Pedro Neto?

Wolves took a chance on a player with just eight senior appearances to his name for both Braga and Lazio when they signed Neto in 2019.

But he has been on a steady upward trajectory since, and has already matched last season’s tally of five goals in 14 fewer games this time around.

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher recently lavished the 20-year-old with praise, comparing his finishing ability to that of a legendary former Liverpool teammate.

He said: “Jota’s gone and this guy (Neto)’s come in. Looking at his finishes here, hard and low with his left foot.

“I can’t help but think of a player I played a lot of my career with, Robbie Fowler. Always finding that side-netting, it seems Wolves have found another really special player.”

Nuno is also fully aware of the major talent he has on his hands and said earlier this season: “It’s good to see a young player develop and improve.

“I think Pedro since last season has been always on a way of improvement, being more consistent in his actions. I think he’s playing good and he’s working hard for the team.”

What clubs are interested in Pedro Neto?

Having seemingly bagged a bargain in taking Diogo Jota from Wolves for £45 million last summer, Liverpool are reportedly interested in Neto as they look to refresh an ageing frontline.

But the Premier League champions are likely to face plenty of competition, with a number of rivals having also been linked.

Manchester United overlooked the winger after taking him on trial from Braga back in 2016 and would have to pay out a significant fee to atone for that mistake now.

It was also recently reported that Arsenal refused to meet Neto’s £17.6m release clause in the summer of 2017, instead lodging a £13.2m bid that was rejected by Braga.

And Juventus, too, are thought to be monitoring the forward ahead of the next transfer window.

The Portuguese livewire perhaps looks likeliest to remain in England if he is to move on, but it is still anyone’s guess where he will end up.

When does Pedro Neto’s contract expire?

Fortunately for Wolves, they are in a strong bargaining position, having tied down Neto to a new contract only last summer.

That deal runs until 2025 and a hefty transfer fee will surely be required to break it.

What is Pedro Neto’s Instagram?

Neto can be found on Instagram @pedroneto_30, where he has 133k followers as of March 2021.

Who is Pedro Neto’s girlfriend?

Neto is not known to be publicly dating anyone.