Wolves star Pedro Neto is reportedly expecting to be given a chance to leave the club this summer, with Jorge Mendes thought to be lining up potential replacements for the Portugal ace.
Neto played a key role as Wolves booked an FA Cup third-round replay against Brentford on Friday night despite a numerical disadvantage, with Gary O'Neil's side finding a leveller midway through the second half thanks to Tommy Doyle, Neto being the architect.
Even though Neto missed around two months of action with a hamstring issue (Transfermarkt), it's still probably fair to say that he's been Wolves' outstanding player this term.
Remarkably, despite the fact that he's been limited to 12 appearances, only Arsenal's Bukayo Saka (11) and West Ham's James Ward-Prowse (10) have set up more goals than his nine in all competitions (Opta).
His tally of seven in the Premier League ranks him fourth across Europe's top five divisions (FBref), and much of his creative threat stems from his ability to find space out wide and deliver dangerous balls into the box. Only Newcastle's Kieran Trippier (2.9) and Luton's Alfie Doughty (2.2) have averaged more accurate crosses per game than Neto (2.1). His dribbling adds another dimension to his game, with the Portuguese sitting sixth for successful take-ons per match (WhoScored).
Neto plans Wolves exit
The only problem with performances like these is that they're bound to attract attention from elsewhere and strengthen Neto's belief that he's ready to step up to a higher level with a team competing in Europe.
Indeed, Sky Sports reporter Johnny Phillips now says that "Neto is expecting [the] chance to leave" Molineux this summer, with super-agent Jorge Mendes already "lining up options". Based on his form, that will be a long and enviable list.
Neto already offered Wolves hope
Wolves set a new club record for a departure in the summer when Matheus Nunes joined Manchester City for £53m (Sky Sports), and that deal may offer something of a benchmark here as the big boys come knocking again, though Diogo Jota's £45m switch to Liverpool in 2020 (BBC Sport) may be seen as more directly comparable given his position.
One way we can estimate how much Wolves will receive is to assess the state of the market. Neto is 23 years old, under contract until 2027 and a five-cap Portugal international (Transfermarkt) – all of which will enhance his value. If you're Wolves, you could easily argue that Neto is comparable in status to Antony and Mykhailo Mudryk, two young wingers who joined Manchester United and Chelsea for £82m and £88.5m respectively last season.
There's no doubt that it would be a big blow to lose Neto, but he offers evidence that Wolves should be able to cope. When Jota left in 2020, he took on a greater role in the side, stepping up from nine Premier League starts to 30 and helped mitigate the impact of his compatriot's exit by reaching 11 direct goal contributions.
Wolves will be aware of the cyclical nature of the transfer landscape by now, so if and when Neto leaves, it will be all about delivering another worthy replacement.