Wolverhampton Wanderers have been given the green light to sign Sporting Lisbon midfielder Matheus Nunes this summer, with the player believed to be keen on a move away from Portugal.
What’s the latest?
According to a report in Correio da Manhã (via TEAMtalk), Nunes will “do everything he can” to secure a move away from Sporting this summer, although he has not yet put any pressure on the club to release him.
It’s a boost for Wolves who have been linked to the player for some time but they face heavy competition, with Liverpool and Chelsea also showing interest.
Although no bids have been made the report states that there is a belief a proposal from England could arrive at any moment.
He’s Neves 2.0
Super agent Jorge Mendes is believed to be representing Nunes and will be involved in any deal that sees him leave Sporting.
He’s no stranger to transfers involving Wolves and also represents Ruben Neves who made a similar move to Molineux from Portuguese side FC Porto back in 2017.
Should Wolves move for Nunes?
If the Old Gold sign Nunes then they can repeat the success they had with Neves. In an ideal world, the two could form a great partnership, but with Neves consistently linked with a move away, he could end up being his replacement.
Nunes was directly involved in eight goals in all competitions last season which when compared against Neves (6) is higher.
They do score similarly in many other areas with a pass accuracy percentage of 86% for Nunes and 84% for the Wolves man.
If the 23-year-old can replicate his numbers in the Premier League then it would be a great signing and they would have a ready-made replacement if Neves were to leave.
Completing the deal will not come cheap for Wolves though with Sporting wanting an initial fee of £38m plus add-ons of around £3.7m. They could however use any potential fee they receive for Neves to finance the deal.
He’s been described by Pep Guardiola as “one of the best in world football” so you can see why clubs such as Liverpool and Chelsea are interested. Perhaps it’s wise for the Wanderers to move quickly or they seriously risk missing out.
Sporting qualified for the Champions League by finishing second last season, and there’s no doubt Nunes would rather play in the competition than not. So if the other clubs are serious then Wolves are at a disadvantage.
AND in other news: “A bit of a shock”: Journo surprised by Wolves move, Lage could’ve made a huge mistake
