‘So much to like’ – Reported Liverpool target put in a ‘spectacular’ performance on Friday night
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One reported Liverpool transfer target was praised for his ‘spectacular’ performance as he helped his team to pull off a surprise victory on Friday night.DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL EMPIRE OF THE KOP APP FOR ALL THE LATEST & BREAKING UPDATES – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAYThe Reds are among the Premier League giants to have been linked with Wolves attacker Mateus Mane, with Mark Brus of the Daily Briefing that the reigning English champions are the frontrunners for the 18-year-old, who’s reportedly value at around £50m by his current club.The teenager completed an entire top-flight match for the ninth time in a row last night as Rob Edwards’ side stunned third-placed Aston Villa 2-0 at Molineux, a result which ensured that the Old Gold will avoid the ignominy of recording the lowest-ever points tally for a Premier League season.Liverpool-linked Mane impresses for Wolves againAlthough the Liverpool-linked youngster wasn’t on the scoresheet, his overall performance against the Villans came in for plenty of praise.Mane earned an 8/10 match rating from Talking Wolves, who lauded a ‘spectacular’ showing from the attacker as he impressed with his hold-up play and his willingness to run at the opposition and get his team up the pitch.
(Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)Journalist Bence Bocsak was also complimentary of the 18-year-old after the Old Gold’s victory, posting on X: ‘Mateus Mane’s footballing IQ and the way he finds himself in space is a level ahead of his peers. Still raw but so much to like.’The underlying numbers from his performance against Villa justify such lofty praise, as seen below in data from Sofascore.
Passes completed 16/18 (89%) Duels won 6 Free kicks won 5 Accurate long balls 2/2 (100%) Key passes 1 Successful dribbles 1 Liverpool must be wary of Mane in Molineux double headerWolves still seem almost certain to be relegated despite their eye-catching victory last night, but the emergence of Mane has given the Molineux faithful something to consistently enjoy from this season.It’s a common sight for teams who drop out of the Premier League to have their most valuable assets plundered by clubs with superior budgets, and it seems highly likely that the teenager will depart the Black Country over the summer, barring a miraculous finish to the campaign for Edwards’ side.Slot will have taken note of the 18-year-old’s latest outing ahead of Liverpool’s double header at Molineux over the next week, with those two games potentially serving as the ideal audition for the forward if he has ambitions of a big-money move to Anfield.In the here-and-now, Mane’s performance serves as a warning to the Reds’ defence that they’ll need to be very wary of the youngster when they face Wolves on Tuesday and Friday, particularly if he’s keen to impress a prospective future employer.Even if the Old Gold make the drop to the Championship, their exciting number 36 seems likely to remain a Premier League player if he continues to shine like he did once again last night.