Man City have £47m bid for 'one of the best players in the world' rejected

24 Aug 2023 11:31 BST
3 min read

Manchester City have had a bid REJECTED by Wolverhampton Wanderers for Matheus Nunes after identifying the midfielder as the next transfer target for Pep Guardiola.

City had been hoping to secure a deal for West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta but the deal collapsed due to an investigation by the FA into a breach of betting rules.

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An €85 million deal had reportedly all but been agreed for Paqueta, however City have been forced to move onto other targets, with Nunes now the subject of an approach.

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Guardiola has been a long-term admirer of Nunes and called the 24-year-old ‘one of the best players in the world’ when he featured for Sporting Lisbon against City in 2021.

City submitted an offer worth €55m for Nunes but the bid was immediately rejected after falling ‘well short of Wolves’ valuation’ according to the Daily Telegraph, with the Midlands outfit having paid €45m for the Portuguese international last summer.

Guardiola’s side are expected to test Wolves’ resolve with another bid as City look to seal a deal before next week’s transfer deadline.

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City have been on the lookout for a midfielder after Kevin De Bruyne’s injury, which will see the Belgian out of action for at least the next three months.

Nunes, who has also been a long-term target for Liverpool, is believed to be City’s top target despite tentative interest in Ebrechi Eze of Crystal Palace.

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The Wolves man will miss his side’s next Premier League game after being sent off in the defeat to Brighton last weekend but a deal could take longer to be struck with City.

Meanwhile, Jeremy Doku is expected to formally complete his €60m move from Rennes to City, having been lined up as a replacement for Riyad Mahrez, who moved to Saudi Arabia earlier in the window.