In the world of international football, a tug of war has ensued between England and Portugal over the promising Wolves forward, Mateus Mane. The 18-year-old player is at the centre of attention following his Premier League breakthrough.
Portugal manager Roberto Martinez has shown keen interest in recruiting Mane. Having previously played with Wolves technical director Matt Jackson at Wigan, Martinez has been proactive in pursuing this young talent for Portugal squad. Born in Barreiro, Portugal, but having moved to England at eight years old, Mane made his debut for England Under-18s in 2024. However, Pedro Proenca - president of the Portuguese Football Federation who was appointed last year - is an admirer of Mane and is eager to convince him to play for his home country.
Martinez plans to initially call up Mane for the Portuguese U21s but also intends on integrating him into senior training sessions. His ultimate goal is to fast-track him into his squad after the World Cup.
Interest from England
England isn't backing down either. Lee Carsley, manager of England Under-21s team, has taken a firm interest in retaining this rising star within their ranks. However, sources have informed BBC Sport that no decision regarding Mateus' international future has been made yet as he prefers focusing on improving his club form currently.
Mane joined Wolverhampton Wanderers from Rochdale in February 2024 and debuted under Vitor Pereira during a match against Brighton which ended with a 2-0 defeat. Despite this rocky start and Wolves' overall struggling campaign this season where they are expected to be relegated from Premier League standings; Mateus stands out as one bright spot amidst these challenges. Having scored twice in twenty games thus far, Mane has become the club's youngest Premier League goalscorer. Since making his full debut at Liverpool in December, he has started Wolves' past 11 league games.
However, with only one win and ten games left to play, Wolves are currently 17 points adrift of safety. They host Aston Villa on Friday and need two points to avoid breaking Derby's Premier League record low points total of 11 in the 2007-08 season. The future of this young football prodigy remains uncertain as both Portugal and England vie for his talents. As Mateus Mane continues to focus on his club form amidst these international interests, fans eagerly await his decision regarding which country he will represent internationally.
