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Mateus Mane (right) has played seven games for England Under-18s Wolves forward Mateus Mane is at the centre of a tug of war between England and Portugal. The 18-year-old is wanted by Portugal manager Roberto Martinez following his Premier League breakthrough. Martinez played with Wolves technical director Matt Jackson at Wigan and has been proactive in Portugal's chase. Mane, born in Barreiro, Portugal, has played for England Under-18s, making his debut in 2024. But Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proenca, who was appointed last year, is an admirer of Mane and keen to convince him to play for Portugal. England Under-21 manager Lee Carsley is also taking a firm interest. Mane, who moved to England aged eight, may initially be called for Portugal U21s but could also train with the seniors, with Martinez keen to fast-track him into his squad after the World Cup. No decision on Mane's international future has been made, sources have told BBC Sport, with Mane keen to focus on his club form. He joined Wolves from Rochdale in February 2024 and made his debut under Vitor Pereira in a 2-0 defeat by Brighton in May. This season Mane has been one of the few bright spots in Wolves' wretched campaign after making a first-team breakthrough under Rob Edwards. Mane has scored twice in 20 games - he became the club's youngest Premier League goalscorer - but Wolves are bottom of the Premier League and expected to be relegated. Since making his full debut at Liverpool in December, Mane has started Wolves' past 11 league games. They are 17 points adrift of safety with 10 games left, having won only once, and host Aston Villa on Friday. Wolves need two points to avoid breaking Derby's Premier League record low points total of 11 in 2007-08. Comments can not be loaded To load Comments you need to enable Java Script in your browser T20 World Cup: England slip to 35-3 in chase of 165 to beat Pakistan 'It bothers me Vinicius celebration used against him' Why Champions League return is crucial to Man Utd Mackenzie Crook’s new whimsical comedy Snoozing wars, copycat siblings and the chaos of robot hoovers Hannah Fry delves into extraordinary human stories around AI Noel Titheradge uncovers the hidden harms of prescription drugs Why has it gone so wrong for Aston Martin? Who has made Troy's Premier League team of the week? Five reasons for England's Six Nations slide What could Mexico cartel violence mean for World Cup? Five talking points from round three of Six Nations How ruthless Arsenal exposed Tottenham's weaknesses Why 2026 marks a Winter Olympic turning point for Team GB EFL's earliest-ever relegation - how Sheff Wed's sorry season unfolded 'Scotland's terrible beauty reverses the narrative on extraordinary day' Penis injections, swearing curlers and a wolfdog - Olympic stories you might have missed 'Losing the dressing room' - what does it mean and how can it happen? Who are the winners and losers from F1 pre-season testing? How Hodgkinson broke a 23-year-old world record Managing Man Utd the 'ultimate role' - Carrick How safe is bare-knuckle boxing as it fights for mainstream appeal? Copyright © 2026 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.