According to Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool are competing with Premier League rivals to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Pedro Neto this summer and have already scouted the talented star.
Liverpool are on a mission to collect as many trophies as possible this season before Jurgen Klopp departs in the summer, and last night the side progressed to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup after knocking out Southampton at Anfield.
It comes just three days after winning their first trophy of the campaign when they beat Chelsea at Wembley Stadium in the Carabao Cup final and Klopp’s kids were at it again with Jayden Danns getting a brace and debut starter Lewis Koumas scoring the opener to make it 3-0 under the lights.
Although the focus will be on squeezing as much success out of the remaining weeks that the German coach has left at the club, there is also a strong demand to start considering the future without him and what the next chapter of Liverpool football club will look like.
As a result, it comes as no surprise that managers are having their names thrown into the hat with Xabi Alonso and Ruben Amorim leading the pack to become Klopp’s successor, however, there is also speculation about what the squad and first team will look like beyond the manager’s departure.
Italian journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has been speaking in his Caught Offside column today about Liverpool’s interest in Wolverhampton Wanderers star Pedro Neto this summer, and he claims the club have already sent scouts to keep tabs on him.
However, they will need to compete with Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, as the two London clubs are also interested in stealing the talented forward from the Midlands club.
Romano revealed:
“I would also keep a close eye on Liverpool – let’s see who’s going to be their manager, let’s see who’s going to be their director, and what kind of strategy they will have. But Pedro Neto has also been scouted by Liverpool in recent months and years.”
Should Liverpool sign Pedro Neto?
There is no doubt that Pedro Neto has been in impeccable form this season, however, it is likely that there would be many things to consider if Liverpool were to make a move for the winger.
The attacking threat for the Reds has always been stacked with world class players, and at present Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota are some of the most clinical wide forwards in the game, not to mention the tenacity of Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez, who also have bags of experience playing in wider roles.
As a result, it’s hard to imagine that Liverpool would make significant further investment into their attacking options, instead focusing on adding depth to the midfield presence and wider defensive roles, unless of course, a forward makes an exit this summer with Salah constantly linked to Saudi Arabia, for example.
Over 17 Premier League appearances, Neto has scored two goals, registered nine assists, and created seven big chances so far this season, as well as averaging 53 touches, 2.2 key passes, 4.4 ball recoveries, and 1.8 successful dribbles per game, as per SofaScore.
Not only that, the Portugal international has been collecting high praise from important places with his manager Gary O’Neil waxing lyrical about the player’s impact since his arrival last summer (via BBC Sport):
“His work rate, the way he trains, playing within the shape and structure, and taking information on board.
“He is incredibly talented and physically very gifted as well.”
With that being said, it will be interesting to see if Liverpool make a move for Neto in the summer, but it is likely to rest on the future of the other forwards in the squad.
