Matheus Nunes | agrees to go to wolves

[WolfInSharp'sClothing]

Yeah, if that's what's happening, this is already mapped out and he'll be off to a final destination club in a year or two depending on how much he shines at Wolves.

Quite clearly they get mates rates as his gateway team into the league to peddle his wares (players) and prime them for selling at a later date. Terrible state of affairs that Mendes gets away with it and has basically accelerated the process with the influx of talent Wolves are processing for him growing exponentially.

How is this any different to how any agent operates? Look at Haaland. He could have joined an elite club a few years ago, but went to Dortmund with a buyout clause, so he could move on again. It avoids the situation of having that big move too soon and careers stalling.

If you look at how Mendes deals with his players, very few have moves that stall their careers, it's all meticulously planned out to ensure career progression. And yes, it makes the most profit for his agency too, granted.

If we can get a few good years out of the players first and help them progress to move on and join elite teams, then great. It worked for Jota. Neves will get his big move at some point, the likes of Neto, Ait-Nouri and Nunes will probably follow. The model works for players, it works for Mendes and at the moment, it's working for us.

But he's not 'getting away with anything'. He's operating a business within the rules and regulations that FIFA and UEFA have established. Those rules probably need reviewing to stop as much money leaving the game as it does, granted. One of the key differences with Mendes to other agents or super-agents is how professional he is. Compare him to the late Mina Riola and it's night and day. Ferguson has had some very good things to say about Jorge Mendes in the past because of how he conducts his business.

The worry of any club associated with Mendes is that he will start to move talent on without replacing it. His name is mud at Sporting and Valencia because things started to go wrong and he got the blame.

As a Wolves fan, I don't have the same worry as other clubs associated with 'The Mendes Carousel', as long as we are owned by Fosun.

This will probably really grate on fans of other clubs, but the reason I don't really worry is because the chairman and founder of our owners Fosun, Guo Ghanchang, also owns 25% of Mendes' agency, Gestifute, through another business.

While it is against all regulations for any football club or football club owner to have shares in any player agency, legally speaking, there is no connection, which is how it passed all the fit and proper tests when we were taken over by Fosun.

We all know not to bite the hand that feeds you! If Mendes did anything to upset the apple-cart at Wolves, he'd be upsetting a 25% stakeholder in his own business too. Therefore unlike other clubs associated with Mendes, we don't really have any worries, as our owners actually have some leverage over his actions. 25% of whatever we spend on agency fees through Gestifute also finds it's way back to Guo Ghanchang too - cashback!

 

[pocco]

Thats at Sporting. He won’t operate like that here. He’ll be given an advance role and like you said the licence to dribble and attack. If City was looking at him to replace Silva. Look at the profile of player he’s replacing.

Right now we need a solid premier league CM with quality. Then we can look for the sprinkles.

Why do you believe this? You think he's too weak? Wasted deeper?

According to City fans, Bernardo has been turned into a deeper CM, not the AM/RW he was originally. Which says that a) City were willing to play him deeper, if their interest was genuine, and b) if a much smaller player in Bernardo Silva can do it, then why not Nunes?

 

[Mainoldo]

Why do you believe this? You think he's too weak? Wasted deeper?

According to City fans, Bernardo has been turned into a deeper CM, not the AM/RW he was originally. Which says that a) City were willing to play him deeper, if their interest was genuine, and b) if a much smaller player in Bernardo Silva can do it, then why not Nunes?

Not at all. He’ll need to adjust to the league. In the centre of the park he won’t be allowed to dribble and use his speed like in the Premiera. You don’t want to knock the guys confidence. Watch and see though.

As for Bernardo. He’s still the attacking player. We know how City operate already. If he goes Barca you’ll see a different Bernardo. Pep might of been interested in him because of his attacking qualities. But we would probably have to wait 12 months to see it.

 

[Escobar]

Lets hijqck another deal. but I doubt our Scouts even know about him

 

[sglowrider]

As a Wolves fan, I don't have the same worry as other clubs associated with 'The Mendes Carousel', as long as we are owned by Fosun.
This will probably really grate on fans of other clubs, but the reason I don't really worry is because the chairman and founder of our owners Fosun, Guo Ghanchang, also owns 25% of Mendes' agency, Gestifute, through another business.

While it is against all regulations for any football club or football club owner to have shares in any player agency, legally speaking, there is no connection, which is how it passed all the fit and proper tests when we were taken over by Fosun.

We all know not to bite the hand that feeds you! If Mendes did anything to upset the apple-cart at Wolves, he'd be upsetting a 25% stakeholder in his own business too. Therefore unlike other clubs associated with Mendes, we don't really have any worries, as our owners actually have some leverage over his actions. 25% of whatever we spend on agency fees through Gestifute also finds it's way back to Guo Ghanchang too - cashback!

Thats was very smart move on the part of the owners.

 

[Giggsy13]

Lets hijqck another deal. but I doubt our Scouts even know about him

Murtough - “but Nunes already signed for Liverpool didn’t he?”

 

[Champ]

Lets hijqck another deal. but I doubt our Scouts even know about him

I really hope this is sarcasm....

 

[WolfInSharp'sClothing]

Thats was very smart move on the part of the owners.

Yeah, I think so too. But a lot of others say it's almost like cheating. In reality, it's just a very smart, shrewd business move.

 

[Escobar]

I really hope this is sarcasm....

Yeah cause we dont need midfielders, do we

 

[whitbyviking]

While this kind of scenario with the "super agents" is relatively common and expected it highlights again the wholly unacceptable grip they essentially have on the game. Is it right that they effectively dictate transfer policy, playing staff and fee level across multiple clubs, leagues and countries? The conflict of interest issues here would not be acceptable in any other industry.

 

[Fortitude]

How is this any different to how any agent operates? Look at Haaland. He could have joined an elite club a few years ago, but went to Dortmund with a buyout clause, so he could move on again. It avoids the situation of having that big move too soon and careers stalling.

If you look at how Mendes deals with his players, very few have moves that stall their careers, it's all meticulously planned out to ensure career progression. And yes, it makes the most profit for his agency too, granted.

If we can get a few good years out of the players first and help them progress to move on and join elite teams, then great. It worked for Jota. Neves will get his big move at some point, the likes of Neto, Ait-Nouri and Nunes will probably follow. The model works for players, it works for Mendes and at the moment, it's working for us.

But he's not 'getting away with anything'. He's operating a business within the rules and regulations that FIFA and UEFA have established. Those rules probably need reviewing to stop as much money leaving the game as it does, granted. One of the key differences with Mendes to other agents or super-agents is how professional he is. Compare him to the late Mina Riola and it's night and day. Ferguson has had some very good things to say about Jorge Mendes in the past because of how he conducts his business.

The worry of any club associated with Mendes is that he will start to move talent on without replacing it. His name is mud at Sporting and Valencia because things started to go wrong and he got the blame.

As a Wolves fan, I don't have the same worry as other clubs associated with 'The Mendes Carousel', as long as we are owned by Fosun.

This will probably really grate on fans of other clubs, but the reason I don't really worry is because the chairman and founder of our owners Fosun, Guo Ghanchang, also owns 25% of Mendes' agency, Gestifute, through another business.

While it is against all regulations for any football club or football club owner to have shares in any player agency, legally speaking, there is no connection, which is how it passed all the fit and proper tests when we were taken over by Fosun.

We all know not to bite the hand that feeds you! If Mendes did anything to upset the apple-cart at Wolves, he'd be upsetting a 25% stakeholder in his own business too. Therefore unlike other clubs associated with Mendes, we don't really have any worries, as our owners actually have some leverage over his actions. 25% of whatever we spend on agency fees through Gestifute also finds it's way back to Guo Ghanchang too - cashback!

Which other agent is monopolising entire teams like this? I can understand that from your point of view it's both brilliant and shrewd as well as above board, but from the outside looking in it is sus, and as @SportingCP96 states, once someone like that gets his hooks in, the leverage and determinism he sets is off the charts - upset him and strangles supply, but you're reliant on his product... it's Wire-esque. In your own post, you're proud that your owners have circumvented the process, by being part of it .

You get your hands on talent, the equivalent of which probably would never enter your club; they artificially elevate your standing and position in the league itself, and in the end, you surely get a healthy percentage of the sell-on... plus your owner benefits on a personal level! from your POV it looks like ingenuity, but come on, you must surely see how others would view it?

The rules themselves are crooked - the same clowns that allowed us to be bought by people who didn't put a penny in to do so and now ward other clubs off being 'Glazered'; the same people who have let buyers pass fit and proper persons tests without running fit and proper persons tests.

What I am surprised at is how other clubs keep schtum, and when I say surprised, not really, as some way down the line, the hand of Mendes touches them and they don't want to upset that apple cart and have the product bypass them entirely.

 

[Champ]

Yeah cause we dont need midfielders, do we

We do, but to claim our scouts don't know about someone who comes from a team we scout heavily and plays in the national team with our striker is a bit of a stretch no??

 

[Wednesday at Stoke]

We do, but to claim our scouts don't know about someone who comes from a team we scout heavily and plays in the national team with our striker is a bit of a stretch no??

It could also mean our scouts are doing their job but their suggestions are being ignored to appease the manager or cut a bargain somewhere else.

 

[Ekeke]

I thought Vitinha was on loan at wolves season before last and they didn't fancy him? Didn't think they were in for him seriously this summer.

That was before he was a star in Porto's championship winning team. Yeah he didnt play much at Wolves. Now PSG want and sign him. Thats the change

 

[Ocelot]

Which other agent is monopolising entire teams like this? I can understand that from your point of view it's both brilliant and shrewd as well as above board, but from the outside looking in it is sus, and as @SportingCP96 states, once someone like that gets his hooks in, the leverage and determinism he sets is off the charts - upset him and strangles supply, but you're reliant on his product... it's Wire-esque. In your own post, you're proud that your owners have circumvented the process, by being part of it .

You get your hands on talent, the equivalent of which probably would never enter your club; they artificially elevate your standing and position in the league itself, and in the end, you surely get a healthy percentage of the sell-on... plus your owner benefits on a personal level! from your POV it looks like ingenuity, but come on, you must surely see how others would view it?

The rules themselves are crooked - the same clowns that allowed us to be bought by people who didn't put a penny in to do so and now ward other clubs off being 'Glazered'; the same people who have let buyers pass fit and proper persons tests without running fit and proper persons tests.

What I am surprised at is how other clubs keep schtum, and when I say surprised, not really, as some way down the line, the hand of Mendes touches them and they don't want to upset that apple cart and have the product bypass them entirely.

Wolves haven't signed a CM for 4/5 years. Neves and Moutinho came in for £15m and £5m respectively, in 2017 and 2018. Those were the last major signings. You make it sound like it's a constant stream of players from the Mendes stable coming in every window.

 

[WolfInSharp'sClothing]

You get your hands on talent, the equivalent of which probably would never enter your club; they artificially elevate your standing and position in the league itself, and in the end, you surely get a healthy percentage of the sell-on... plus your owner benefits on a personal level! from your POV it looks like ingenuity, but come on, you must surely see how others would view it?

Absolutely. I have no doubts that I'd be heavily critical of this if it were of no benefit to my club! The world of business and football is full of hypocrites, me included!

 

[Escobar]

We do, but to claim our scouts don't know about someone who comes from a team we scout heavily and plays in the national team with our striker is a bit of a stretch no??

Probably, but then again they did not know about Nkunku either

 

[SportingCP96]

I thought Vitinha was on loan at wolves season before last and they didn't fancy him? Didn't think they were in for him seriously this summer.

Ya he flopped in Wolves before returning to Porto.

 

[SportingCP96]

Which other agent is monopolising entire teams like this? I can understand that from your point of view it's both brilliant and shrewd as well as above board, but from the outside looking in it is sus, and as @SportingCP96 states, once someone like that gets his hooks in, the leverage and determinism he sets is off the charts - upset him and strangles supply, but you're reliant on his product... it's Wire-esque. In your own post, you're proud that your owners have circumvented the process, by being part of it .

You get your hands on talent, the equivalent of which probably would never enter your club; they artificially elevate your standing and position in the league itself, and in the end, you surely get a healthy percentage of the sell-on... plus your owner benefits on a personal level! from your POV it looks like ingenuity, but come on, you must surely see how others would view it?

The rules themselves are crooked - the same clowns that allowed us to be bought by people who didn't put a penny in to do so and now ward other clubs off being 'Glazered'; the same people who have let buyers pass fit and proper persons tests without running fit and proper persons tests.

What I am surprised at is how other clubs keep schtum, and when I say surprised, not really, as some way down the line, the hand of Mendes touches them and they don't want to upset that apple cart and have the product bypass them entirely.

Valencia is a perfect example of when it goes terrible wrong. That club is in the mud now.

As the Wolves fan above states I am not surprised he is happy. He takes nothing clubs (with all due respect and without trying to offend) like Wolves and Famalicão both who were in the second division of their respective leagues, sinks his teeth in and begins injecting them with top talent who otherwise would never want to go to Molineux and Famalicão. With Wolves he allows players a “entrance” into the EPL but a club like that would never be able to acquire these players in normal circumstances.

Braga as well he is heavily involved in, this has helped them grow into a competitive side in Portugal etc.

Porto he has been involved with for years as he is very good friends with Pinto Da Costa and Benfica as well. Nor after BDC leaving the club he has been able to enter Sporting.

The only thing in Portugal that the big 3 fans are all in agreement of is that they don’t want Jorge Mendes involved with our clubs. He is a Cancer and in the end of the day the only winner is him.

 

[SportingCP96]

Absolutely. I have no doubts that I'd be heavily critical of this if it were of no benefit to my club! The world of business and football is full of hypocrites, me included!

I do also agree that I think Mendes “cares” a little more about wolves due to the reason you stated with Fosun. However their has already been some shady dealings involved to say the least.

I am 100% sure you are the only club who would pay 40M for Fábio Silva at the time.

Then a recent deal involving Sporting selling us Vinagre for 10M and only 50% of his rights meaning valuation of 20M. Now he’s at Everton after barely featuring last season for Sporting.

 

[RedRonaldo]

We should at least try to hijack this deal….

 

[Champ]

Probably, but then again they did not know about Nkunku either

Again, complete nonsense.

He wasn't on their shortlist, which is completely different from not knowing about him.

When Rangnick asked about him, the scouts were believed to have said they weren't tracking him as he wasn't on their shortlist' rather than 'we don't know who he is'!

Our scouts are actually very good, the issue lies in the lack of planning or cohesive nature of buying players, with different managers wanting different types of players (we have had three managers since the start of last season, four if you count Carrick), Ole wanted young homegrown players and our scouting network extended massively in Scandinavia, Rangnick wanted to look towards the Bundesliga and mainland Europe, which wasn't where United scouts were primarily looking, EtH is obviously looking at players he already knoww along with youngish technical players, again a different style of player.

 

[WolfInSharp'sClothing]

I do also agree that I think Mendes “cares” a little more about wolves due to the reason you stated with Fosun. However their has already been some shady dealings involved to say the least.

I am 100% sure you are the only club who would pay 40M for Fábio Silva at the time.

Then a recent deal involving Sporting selling us Vinagre for 10M and only 50% of his rights meaning valuation of 20M. Now he’s at Everton after barely featuring last season for Sporting.

Yeah agreed. There seems to be a lot of give and take with Mendes, even for a club with a club where as you say, he 'cares' more about not upsetting.

I think beyond all the clubs he is associated with, he has such an incredible network of contacts that he does favours and calls favours in all the time. He also probably has the most knowledge of what is happening at more clubs than any other individual in football.

For example, we got Neves when we were in The Championship, with no notice and with no other clubs in for him. All because Mendes knew that Porto had some FFP issues and needed the money we paid fast. We then picked up Joao Moutinho for £5m because he knew Monaco wanted to sell. We get Patricio immediately after he cancelled his contract with Sporting. We sell Patricio and get Jose Sa for a net £9m profit!

His network gives rise to unbelievable opportunities that simply wouldn't be available without the connection.

But the flip side to that is that we over-pay for players at times to 'repay' certain favours. I think we massively overpaid for Silva, albeit longer term this will still maybe prove to be a decent fee given how he's started the season on loan. I think that happened as a favour to Porto who needed the cash again and also as a sweetener for Fabio's Dad, who made a lot out of the transfer. Maybe it was to help 'convince' him that Wolves was the right move. I also think we overpaid for Semedo and a few others.

So when you're signing Joao Moutinho for £5m, you know somewhere along the line that you'll end up paying for it elsewhere.

But all in all the 'favours' tend to balance each other out and more often than not actually weighted more in our favour given the unique relationship. I wouldn't call them 'shady' dealings, more that all transfers involving Mendes and a club are in some way connected and fees aren't always representative of that individual deal, but a series of deals.

Vinagre looked decent initially when we signed him for £2m. Then we loaned him out, he didn't really do anything and we end up selling him for the same price we paid for Rayan Ait-Nouri!! Incredible business that one. Like I say, no doubt there's a favour owed somewhere for that.

 

[SportingCP96]

Portuguese media reporting that Matheus Nunes preferred to stay at Sporting and wait for an offer from Liverpool but that Jorge Mendes convinced him to sign for Wolves.

Probably promised him that if he performs he will he get him the move next summer or something like that.

 

[sglowrider]

Portuguese media reporting that Matheus Nunes preferred to stay at Sporting and wait for an offer from Liverpool but that Jorge Mendes convinced him to sign for Wolves.

Probably promised him that if he performs he will he get him the move next summer or something like that.

Calling agent Bruno...

 

[avgp_1]

Portuguese media reporting that Matheus Nunes preferred to stay at Sporting and wait for an offer from Liverpool but that Jorge Mendes convinced him to sign for Wolves.

Probably promised him that if he performs he will he get him the move next summer or something like that.

Better that Wolves got him then

 

[Reapersoul20]

I still can't get over not breaking the bank for this guy. He looks unreal. Wolves? This is on par with Mascherano and Tevez at West Ham

 

[groovyalbert]

Neves available?

 

[Pat Cat]

Still hoping against hope that we hijack this deal Malacia style, really not sure how we haven't been seriously linked given our Mendes connection, need for a midfielder and history of targeting the Portuguese league. Incredibly frustrating because he looks like everything we'd want from a deeper 8.

 

[Tony Clifton]

 

[dinostar77]

Just watched this. Sounds like a player ETH would want. Press resistant, can recieve the ball under pressure and turn defence into attack in an instant.

Why are we not in for him? In the video they reckon his signing alone might get wolves into the top six. If hes that transformative of a player.....

 

[Ish]

Not going to pretend I've watched him outside of some UCL and NT matches but he'll walk into our midfield and would seemingly be a superb Pogba replacement and at "decent" fee. Coupled with how highly Pep rates him, his Liverpool links, how Sporting fans rate him - it's mind boggling that we're in for players like Rabiot but not this fella. Seems like he'd improve us ten fold, is attainable and would fit into an ETH system. Honestly mind boggling.

He's young and can still improve etc.

I'd guess it is in Mendes' best interest to get him to a stepping stone club first, before trying to offload him for 2-3 times his current price a couple of years from now. I'm trying to convince myself of the reasoning here, i guess. But if Sporting accepted a fee from Wolves, could they reject a similar (or even higher) fee from another club if such an event occurred?

 

[BarstoolProphet]

Not going to pretend I've watched him outside of some UCL and NT matches but he'll walk into our midfield and would seemingly be a superb Pogba replacement and at "decent" fee. Coupled with how highly Pep rates him, his Liverpool links, how Sporting fans rate him - it's mind boggling that we're in for players like Rabiot but not this fella. Seems like he'd improve us ten fold, is attainable and would fit into an ETH system. Honestly mind boggling.

I think with how we have handled the Ronaldo situation has made the Portuguese human trafficker prevent any chance that his new shiny object can be allowed to go to United.

 

[Ish]

I think with how we have handled the Ronaldo situation has made the Portuguese human trafficker prevent any chance that his new shiny object can be allowed to go to United.

Sorry, just edited my post as well. That's one reason, I guess but surely we could just agree a fee with Sporting?

 

[BarstoolProphet]

Sorry, just edited my post as well. That's one reason, I guess but surely we could just agree a fee with Sporting?

Don't think Sporting has any saying in this really. Bet they barely get any of the transfer sum either.

 

[Ish]

Don't think Sporting has any saying in this really. Bet they barely get any of the transfer sum either.

Bloody hell. Think this all explains it.

 

[BarstoolProphet]

Bloody hell. Think this all explains it.

Raiola was a bastard to negotiate with but he had nothing on Mendes' shady business. It's like a massive whitewashing operation led by a permatanned Bond villain.

 

[Ish]

Raiola was a bastard to negotiate with but he had nothing on Mendes' shady business. It's like a massive whitewashing operation led by a permatanned Bond villain.

Great description

 

[Tony Clifton]

Just watched this. Sounds like a player ETH would want. Press resistant, can recieve the ball under pressure and turn defence into attack in an instant.

Why are we not in for him? In the video they reckon his signing alone might get wolves into the top six. If hes that transformative of a player.....

I wonder and ponder many things about our setup of football operations. From scouting to targeting to negotiating (with the players/agents as well as the clubs) to finally recruiting. Little for me makes sense concerning those aspects at Manchester United since a while back.

What we do, how we do it, who does what, why we do some things and even less when we do it. Speaking of when, the transfer window has been open a long time now and closes in two weeks. We've been inept and inefficient, as usual. We're late, as usual. I guess I understand some of it after all.

Any way. Regarding Nunes: I created a little gif switching between Nunes and De Jong so it's clear to see the difference (switches after ~2 secs). Also a still image for a relaxed side by side comparison.

Nunes has indeed a very interesting player profile. I know it's not that simple, but surely there's room for at least some creativity (Cristiano) in any potential transfer dealings with Sporting, which will play CL this season.

 

[bucky]

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