Manchester United may already be struggling in the race to sign Mateus Mane from Wolverhampton Wanderers this summer, amid revelations about his price tag.
Wolverhampton Wanderers have had a disastrous Premier League campaign. Having sold key stars such as Matheus Cunha to Manchester United and Rayan Aït-Nouri to Man City in the summer, it took them until January to earn their first league win.
Wolves sit at the bottom of the Premier League with ten points to their name, already 17 points off any form of safety as they prepare to head back to the Championship.
However, one sparkling light of their season has been young star Mateus Mane, who made his debut for the side toward the back end of last season and has been their best player this campaign.
Mane has two goals and two assists in the league this campaign, but his overall attacking play and versatility across the front line at just 18 years of age have piqued the interest of the big Premier League sides.
United struggling in race for Mane
It has been established among the football world that Mane feels too good not to be playing and developing at an established Premier League club, with United reportedly monitoring the young star’s progression this season.
However, according to CaughtOffside, United may already be behind in the race for the talented teen, with Liverpool said to be the side furthest ahead, having already held “positive” initial discussions with his representatives.
It is claimed that the Merseyside club are already planning to launch a bid for Mane this coming summer once Wolves’ relegation is confirmed, with Arsenal also “big admirers” of the youngster and keen to bring in younger players for Mikel Arteta once the window opens.
Finally, CaughtOffside states that Wolves value Mane’s talent at around £50 million, which is a hefty price tag for a teenager playing his first senior season of football.
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Mane is not worth signing for United
In the event that United were to secure Mane over Liverpool and Arsenal, it’s hard to see the club keeping in the first-team squad next season.
Mane is too good to be thrown in and developed in the Academy, but with the likes of Cunha, Bryan Mbuemo, Amad, Benjamin Šeško, and Bruno Fernandes taking up key attacking positions, it would likely be that the 18-year-old would have to head on loan to continue his development.
On the flip side, United already have a talent of a similar age who is just as worth investing in as Mane, but wouldn’t cost them £50 million to secure.
Shea Lacey’s talent is supreme. The teenage winger has been ripping up players across the U18s and U21s, and is expected to be promoted to the first-team squad full-time next season. The English talent is just as good, if not better, than Mane, and this should be United’s priority.
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