Liverpool tipped to beat Arsenal, Man Utd to electric winger, as Klopp braces for Salah exit

Wolves fully expect Pedro Neto to leave the club in January on one condition, and Liverpool have been backed to beat both Arsenal and Manchester United to his signature, per reports.

The Portuguese forward, 23, has caught the eye through a series of livewire displays this season. Neto has racked up five assists despite Wolves scoring just nine league goals this season. Neto’s mark of five sees him joint-top of the EPL assists chart this term alongside Kieran Trippier and James Maddison.

TEAMtalk exclusively revealed on October 5 that Wolves expect Neto to leave the club in 2024, and a January exit is likely.

Transfer insider Graeme Bailey told us: “I am told by sources close to Wolves that they are expecting Neto to leave in January, but their valuation would need to be met.

“He is under contract to 2027, but he is showing the sort of form that could persuade someone to make a move in January.

“I understand that [Neto’s agent] Jorge Mendes and his staff are confident that Neto will move in 2024 and most likely in January, but it will depend on the needs of those interested parties.”

Wolves are seemingly open to a sale, though only if their full valuation is met. On that front, varying reports have claimed Neto could fetch a fee in the £50m-£60m range.

Arsenal make contact; Man Utd hamstrung by FFP

Our newest transfer expert, Fraser Fletcher, subsequently confirmed contact between Arsenal chiefs and Neto’s camp has been made.

Furthermore, Man Utd have their eyes on Neto amid the ongoing uncertainty over whether Mason Greenwood and Jadon Sancho have futures at the club. However, given the club’s Financial Fair Play constraints, United would have to wait until the summer before launching a move.

But according to Liverpool expert Neil Jones, it’s Jurgen Klopp’s Reds who could trump their rivals.

Writing for Caught Offside, Jones stressed the links between Mohamed Salah and Saudi Arabia won’t go away in 2024.

Salah will enter the final year of his Liverpool contract at season’s end and as much as it’ll pain the Reds, a mega-money exit for a 32-year-old would make financial sense.

As a left-footer, Neto could be conceived as a natural successor to Salah. Of course, he’d have to improve his goals output to adequately replace the Egyptian, though many a forward – including Salah – have greatly upped their goalscoring ratio upon moving to Anfield.

Salah exit key to Neto swoop

“I’m not surprised to see Pedro Neto’s name being linked with top clubs, given the way he’s started the Premier League season,” said Jones.

“The Wolves man has always been a huge talent, one admired by just about every big side including Liverpool, but injuries have set him back significantly in recent years.

“Now he’s back fit, we are seeing what he can do, and the pace and threat he brings, plus the room for development he has at 23, mark him out as someone who can definitely take the next step by moving to a Champions League club.

“Whether that’s Liverpool – they still need to get back to the Champions League, by the way! – remains to be seen.

“I know that Neto has admirers at Anfield, and that his versatility and skillset would be well-suited to a Jurgen Klopp side.

“But then the same could be said, I believe, for a Mikel Arteta side or a Pep Guardiola side. I believe he is of that level, potentially.

“The first aim for him, though, must be to stay fit and to turn this purple patch into something more sustainable.

“He still needs to improve his numbers, particularly in terms of goal-scoring, if he is to put himself in that top bracket of attackers.

“But he is making waves at Wolves right now, and if he continues to do so then we can expect him to move on to bigger and better things next season.

“With reasons to think that the Mohamed Salah to Saudi Arabia stories might not be going away in 2024, Neto could definitely be one to watch.”

EXCLUSIVE: Liverpool to tee up fifth midfield signing before January window opens