Liverpool and Manchester United held talks to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers attacking midfielder Mateus Mane in the recently concluded winter transfer window, according to Ekrem Konur.
The former Rochdale youth star made his first-team debut on May 10th, coming on as a substitute in the 2-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion, to become the youngest debutant for the club in the top flight, at 17 years, seven months, and 13 days.
Following a series of substitute appearances, he made his first start for the club on December 27th, 2025, in the 2-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield and has since become a mainstay in the team.
Having not played a minute of this campaign under former coach Vitor Pereira, Mane has sparked a bit of a resurgence since Rob Edwards’ appointment, netting twice and providing two assists, with standout displays against Manchester United and Liverpool, which have unsurprisingly attracted interest from the duo.
This is according to Konur, who claims that United and Liverpool held formal talks to sign Mane in the recently concluded winter transfer window.
However, the journalist adds that an agreement could not be reached with either club, as Wolves’ £45–50m valuation was considered too high by the Premier League giants.
Prospect
Writing on Sports Boom, Konur reports that the West Midlands club’s valuation stemmed from their resolve to keep the England U18 star amid their relegation fight, having already secured a financial windfall from the sale of Jørgen Strand Larsen to Crystal Palace.
However, having already made enquiries with the players’ representatives, Liverpool and United are expected to return for his signature next summer, when his valuation is expected to drop should Wolves get relegated, Konur adds.
Both clubs have spent money on elite youth recruitment and development in recent seasons while also buying experienced players for the first team.
For Liverpool, Rio Ngumoha is already making an impact, having moved to the Merseyside club from Chelsea’s Cobham Academy, while Senegal U17 star Talla Ndiaye joined from Amitie FC, along with 17-year-old centre-back Ifeanyi Ndukwe, who joined from Austrian club Austria Vienna.
United, on the other hand, have recruited promising youngsters like Harley Emsden-James, Enzo Kana-Biyik, Diego Leon, and Cristian Orozco, while Ayden Heaven, who joined from Arsenal, is already a key first-team player.
Mane serves as both a prospect with immense potential and an established player with qualities to gradually slot into either team’s attack, so it’ll be interesting to see who wins the race for his signature.
