Wolves: Next season 'key' for £31.5m ace rarely seen this term

Next term will be the ‘key season’ for Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Pedro Neto following his extensive injury issues, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

Wolves snapped up the highly-rated 22-year-old from Lazio in August 2019, and he slowly established himself as one of the Premier League’s most talented young stars.

During Neto’s maiden campaign on English shores, he registered five goals and five assists across 44 appearances in all competitions, although the majority of his outings came off the substitute’s bench.

And the Portugal international took his game to new heights last term, racking up 11 goal contributions in 31 Premier League fixtures as he became a mainstay in the starting lineup.

However, Neto’s progress came to a sudden halt when he suffered a fractured patella against Fulham last April, ruling him out for almost a year.

The creative talent made his long-awaited return to first-team football against Leicester City last month before going on to make three more appearances from the bench and one start in a disappointing defeat to Crystal Palace.

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But fitness woes have struck Neto down again since, with a foot problem keeping him out of Wolves’ last two encounters.

Manager Bruno Lage has revealed that Neto – who is valued at £31.5m by Transfermarkt – should be fit enough to make his comeback after the international break.

Neto has only featured in 130 minutes of action this season as he attempts to get back to his best and stay off the treatment table.

Therefore, O’Rourke believes 2022/23 will be pivotal time for the youngster to try and impress Lage rather than the remaining weeks of the