City to rival Arsenal for Wolverhampton Wanderers key player
The 23-year-old has scored 12 goals and registered 22 assists in 122 appearances for the West Midlands club across all competitions since moving to Molineux from Lazio in the summer of 2019.
Neto made a bright start to the current campaign, scoring once and providing seven assists in 10 Premier League games before picking up a hamstring injury in October.
The Portuguese winger has subsequently returned to full fitness, much to the pleasure of head coach Gary O’Neil, who sees him as an important first-team player in the future.
Neto’s strong performances at Wolves are said to have piqued the interest of several Premier League clubs, including Arsenal, who have been monitoring the winger for some time.
Manchester United are also said to be interested in Neto, whose contract at Molineux expires in the summer of 2027.
However, according to The Athletic via the Manchester Evening News, Manchester City are keeping an eye on Neto, who is not likely to leave Wolves in January.
According to the source, the working connection between Manchester City and Wolves from prior transactions, such as Tommy Doyle’s current loan at Molineux and Matheus Nunes’ permanent move to the Etihad Stadium in the summer, could play a role in future discussions for Neto.
Man City’s interest in Neto comes at a time when Portuguese compatriot Bernardo Silva’s long-term future is unknown.
Bernardo has been connected with a departure from the Etihad since expressing his intention to start a “new project” 12 months ago.
The 29-year-old playmaker signed a new contract with Manchester City in September, keeping him at the club until 2026, although he has publicly stated his desire to return to childhood club Benfica before retiring.
Following Riyad Mahrez’s summer move to Al-Ahli, Manchester City bolstered their options on the flanks by signing Jeremy Doku from Rennes for a reported £55 million, and he has since made a promising start to life under Pep Guardiola.
The 21-year-old, who is competing for wing starts with Bernardo, Jack Grealish, Phil Foden, and Oscar Bobb, has four goals and six assists in 18 games for the Citizens this season, scoring his most recent goal in last weekend’s 5-0 FA Cup win over Huddersfield Town after a lengthy injury layoff.
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