Exciting young Wolves forward Mateus Mane has been rewarded with his first professional contract in gold and black after progressing into Vitor Pereira’s senior squad.
The highly regarded talent, who doesn’t turn 18 until September, put pen to paper on a first professional deal at Molineux this week, which will keep him tied to the club until 2027.
An England youth international – who has earned seven caps for the under-18s – Mane made his Premier League debut at the end of last season having enjoyed a remarkable rise through Wolves Academy after making the move to the club in February 2024.
Mane spent the first nine years of his life in Portugal, the country of his birth, before moving to Manchester in 2016 where he joined Rochdale, but after eight years with the National League side’s junior teams, he made the Black Country and Molineux his new home.
Initially spending time with both the under-16s and under-18s, Mane marked his first start with Richard Walker’s side by claiming a goal and an assist in a 3-1 win over Derby County in Wolves’ final game of the 2023/24 U18 PL season.
Then during the last 12 months, Mane has gone from being one of the focal points of the under-18s attack into a Premier League player.
Seven goals and four assists in 15 league outings for the under-18s led to Mane being called up to train with Pereira’s first-team squad, with the forward leaving a positive impression on the head coach and the senior players.
After featuring among the squad for the games against Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United in the closing months of the 2024/25 Premier League season, Mane would make his senior Wolves debut in May as he came off the bench against Brighton & Hove Albion at Molineux.
Following his debut Premier League appearance, Pereira revealed the young forward was set to be part of his first-team squad for the upcoming campaign after showing his potential during his time spent with the senior set up last season.
Ahead of the 2025/26 Premier League season, Mane has now committed his future to Wolves by signing his first professional contract.
“It’s an amazing feeling for me, my family, my friends – everyone,” Mane said. “I’ve been working this whole time for this and now it’s happened, I’m really proud of myself and I’m really happy.
“A lot of work has gone into getting to this stage, because I came from a non-league club and to get a professional contract at a Premier League club, it’s a dream come true.
“But now it’s happened, I’ve just got to keep working and keep working to try and getting that next contract and become a better player every day.”
