Manchester City have finally reached an agreement for Matheus Nunes in a deal that will see them pay around £53m for the midfielder this summer.
Nunes had gone on strike at Wolves, refusing to train and telling the club that he wanted to join Manchester City as he looked to force through a move to the Premier League champions late in the summer window.
Signed just 12 months ago for 45m euros (£39m), he appeared 39 times for Wolves last season and was thought to be catching the eye of Liverpool, but it is Guardiola’s side that have pounced as they look to bolster their ranks for the upcoming campaign.
(Photo by Craig Thomas/News Images) (Alamy Stock Photo)
The Treble winners’ need for a midfielder, already laid bare by Ilkay Gundogan’s departure, was made even more pressing by injury to Kevin De Bruyne in the opening game of the Premier League season, with the Belgian not expected to play again in 2023 after undergoing surgery on his hamstring.
Now, they have agreed a deal on favourable terms for Nunes, which will see them pay £53m for the midfielder, only slightly more than their opening £47m offer, which was knocked back. There are no potential add-ons, but Wolves will net 10% of any profit that City make on the midfielder, though that seems unlikely unless Nunes makes a move to Saudi Arabia.
It will be Manchester City’s fourth signing of the summer, following the arrivals of Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol earlier in the window plus the signing of Jeremy Doku last week from Rennes.
It leaves Wolves, hamstrung for much of the summer transfer window by financial fair play concerns, with less than 48 hours to reinvest their takings for Nunes in a bid to avoid relegation this season, having taken just three points from their opening three Premier League outings.
