‘Got too much talent’ – Top Premier League clubs urged to sign record-breaking 18-year-old who will be too good for the Championship

Jan 4, 2026 - 18:30

A top Premier League club must sign Wolves wonderkid Mateus Mane in January, believes talkSPORT’s Adrian Durham.

The 18-year-old got on the scoresheet as he helped his side to their first win of the season by thrashing West Ham 3-0 at Molineux.

Mane netted his first senior goal in Wolves’ first win of the season[/caption]

After going 19 games without victory, Rob Edwards‘ team put in a fine display to reduce the gap to safety to 12 points.

And Mane was front and centre for the three points, playing a key role in each of his side’s three goals.

He made an impressive turn in the build-up to Jhon Arias’ fourth-minute opener, before winning a penalty which was converted by Hwang Hee-chan to double Wolves‘ lead.

Mane then got his goal, as he drove inside before unleashing an unstoppable strike into the bottom corner at Alphonse Areola’s near post to make it 3-0.

In doing so, he became Wolves’ youngest ever Premier League goalscorer at 18 years and 109 days old.

It capped off a stunning individual performance from Mane in just his third league start, and earned him widespread praise.

‘Try to sign him now’

Among those to hail the youngster was Durham, who insisted the Premier League’s leading sides should look to snap him up, with Wolves looking destined for relegation.

He told talkSPORT GameDay on Saturday: “I want to talk about Mane… he’s hit that shot with absolute venom. What a goal from him.

“It’s almost like the West Ham players were like: ‘He’s only 18’, but we’ve all been talking about him and watching him today, we know how good he is, but it’s like these West Ham players haven’t been briefed.

“Another thing – it’s January. If I was a top club I would get in there and try to sign him now, because he’s not going to be in the Championship next season.”

Mane had a major hand in all three of Wolves’ goals on Saturday[/caption]

Micky Gray was in agreement alongside him, as he chimed in: “No absolutely not.

“He’s got too much talent to be playing Championship football.

“I love to see young players who are given the opportunity and say, ‘I’m going to make the difference’.

“He’s played well in two games against Liverpool and Manchester United, but today he’s topped it off with a goal… the first of his professional career. He is some player!”

While Wolves fans may be fearing the worst over Mane’s future, they will be reassured by the fact that his current contract runs until 2029.

The forward signed his first professional deal in July, with FA rules on contract lengths for under-18s meaning that initial agreement ran only until the conclusion of the 2027/28.

Edwards hailed his young talent after he inspired his side to the three points[/caption]

However, it is believed that Mane penned a further agreement upon turning 18 in September, extending his Molineux deal until 2029.

This will be welcome news to Wolves boss Edwards, who heaped praise on Mane after his stellar display against West Ham.

The former Wales international said said: “It has given everyone a lift, you can hear the fans singing his name.

“We have to make sure we look after him. He has had a really impressive couple of weeks and it was a fantastic goal today.

“He has a great attitude. He will take risks at the right time but at the same time he is all about the team. He has been really impressive so far.”

Who is Mateus Mane?

Born in Portugal, Mane moved to Manchester at the age of eight, and spent a brief spell in the Manchester City academy.

Mane earned plaudits as he played all 90 minutes in Wolves’ 1-0 defeat to Liverpool[/caption]

He then joined the academy at nearby fifth-tier club Rochdale, before joining Wolves in February 2024.

In the time since, Mane has established himself as one of the club’s brightest young talents, and began to train with their first-team last season.

He was named in the matchday squad for the league games against Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur and Man United, before being handed his senior debut off the bench against Brighton in May.

After becoming a regular in and around Wolves’ first-team this term, Mane made his first start against Liverpool in December.

After impressing in a narrow defeat to the league champions, he followed this up with another start in a 1-1 draw with Manchester United, before bagging his first senior goal on Saturday.