Matheus Nunes - Wolverhampton Wanderers

[Manchester Dan]

Pep obviously loves him from his Sporting days. Hard to judge a player of his style in an awful Wolves side (similar to Kovacic in Chelsea). Personally I am quite pleased with this link if we can get it over the line. I think this would conclude our summer and leave us with the obvious problem to fix next year which would be medium-term replacements for KDB & Bernardo.

I would expect some movement on Phillips and Cancelo left and then our squad is in a healthy spot. Would give us 12 months to work on that CAM position in the market. I personally like the look of Wirtz.

• Def: Stones, Gvardiol, Dias, Akanji, Ake, Walker
• Mid: Rodri, Kovacic, Nunes*
• Att: KDB, Foden, Haaland, Grealish, Bernardo, Alvarez, Doku

 

[TheMagicFoolBus]

Bernardo's going to leave eventually. This is them preparing for that, and also cover for De Bruynes increasing lack of availability.

Guardiola's also very adaptable to the talent he has.

People have this impression that Guardiola is quite stubborn and inflexible because of the whole Zlatan thing at Barca. But that was just him making a call that Messi as a False 9 would be much better for him, and that left no room for Ibrahmovic. It was obviously the right call, because that resulted in them building arguably the best club side ever the season after.

True - but I don't view Nunes as a straightforward replacement for either really.

Of course, as you say Pep is extremely flexible so he may have a longer-term plan in mind for tweaks if, indeed, that's the succession plan.

 

[AltiUn]

What am I missing?

Feels like the default assumption is it's great because it's City. They did buy Phillips so they're not infallible.

The guy is 24, pulled up no trees that I can see. If they were that hot on him they wouldn't have exhausted the entire window.

It's cause most people will have watched him play 1 game and it was the game against us where he was fantastic, largely ignoring that every player looks fantastic against us.

 

[André Dominguez]

One hand washes the other, by M€nd€s

 

[JuriM]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

 

[Sly]

Disappointed with his behavior. He's was a very humble and respectful player at Sporting. Jorge Mendes already doing his shady dirty work.

 

[Phil]

City just hoovering up midfielders, can’t say I’m not jealous.

 

[zaafi]

Annoying behaviour. Enjoy the bench.

 

[Manchester Dan]

I don’t like that behaviour. Didn’t like it when Mahrez did it either.

 

[WeePat]

It’s awful behaviour but at the same time, he’s at Wolves, the opportunity to go to City might not come back again, if Wolves somehow price him out of a move (which I’ve seen no indication of tbf).

Look at Aouar. Linked with Arsenal and Bayern at one point. Highly sought after talent. Didn’t get his move for one reason or another, ends up staying a few more years and now sold to Roma.

 

[bosskeano]

poor Kalvin Phillips...went from leeds to playing for england, then made the move to City and now an outcast for both club and country

 

[Castia]

He’s looked really good every time I’ve seen him. City with Rodri, Nunes and Philips for DM whilst we scramble around looking for any old reject probably on loan in the final days of the window is about right

 

[awop]

poor Kalvin Phillips...went from leeds to playing for england, then made the move to City and now an outcast for both club and country

City are usually very understanding to let average players leave. He can leave anytime he wants but prefers the money and not playing. Which is absolutely fine and something a lot of us would do. There's probably 6/8 teams in the league who would give him a starting midfield spot.

 

[zaafi]

He’s looked really good every time I’ve seen him. City with Rodri, Nunes and Philips for DM whilst we scramble around looking for any old reject probably on loan in the final days of the window is about right

He is not a DM

 

[Castia]

He is not a DM

Well he’s box to box isn’t he he will sit deep at City

 

[Pexbo]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

How do City manage to buy these players for below market rate?

 

[Hughes35]

How do City manage to buy these players for below market rate?

Players want to move to them because of Pep and a guarantee of trophies (and high salaries + backdoor payments)

 

[Redstain]

Don't see him doing well for City he's not good enough to move the needle for their fully fit 11. He would have been a good option to play alongside Bruno. Promising player nonetheless but looks like a Phillips situation for them.

 

[Cloud7]

Was he the one that kept bursting through our midfield when we played wolves ?

 

[pocco]

Don't see him doing well for City he's not good enough to move the needle for their fully fit 11. He would have been a good option to play alongside Bruno. Promising player nonetheless but looks like a Phillips situation for them.

He's miles better than Phillips. Not sure he'll be an immediate starter but, similar to what I thought about Paqueta, I could see him going up a level or two at City and fulfilling his potential.

Was he the one that kept bursting through our midfield when we played wolves ?

Yeah that's the one. Very good at carrying the ball for a CM. Was mentioned as a good, cheap alternative to FdJ last summer by a few of us, but the club had other ideas and went for completely different players.

 

[GlasgowCeltic]

City are usually very understanding to let average players leave. He can leave anytime he wants but prefers the money and not playing. Which is absolutely fine and something a lot of us would do. There's probably 6/8 teams in the league who would give him a starting midfield spot.

more than that, pretty much everyone except Chelsea and Arsenal, maybe not nailed on starter but regular games definitely

 

[DoneDaDa]

How do City manage to buy these players for below market rate?

65M is an overpay. According to transfermkt his value is between 45-50m, so there paying over that. At the moment he's not worth that.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

We really need reinforcements in middle. The gap with every rival is widening and our midfield was anyway iffy.

 

[criticalanalysis]

more than that, pretty much everyone except Chelsea and Arsenal, maybe not nailed on starter but regular games definitely

In 2021 you could say that confidently but after 18m of injuries and not playing, that's bit of a stretch now.

Being out of the game for long when a large part of his quality was the conditioning, match sharpness and all around agility, isn't something he can turn back the time on so easily.

 

[CantonaManc]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

So Fab reposted this minute ago that should mean that City are very close to signing him.

Another good player for them sadly.

 

[BobFromParva]

65M is an overpay. According to transfermkt his value is between 45-50m, so there paying over that. At the moment he's not worth that.

Transfermkt values are only a guess at what they think the market might pay for a player - it’s an approximation and the truth of the matter is that there really is no such thing as below or above market value in football transfers.

The market value / rate is whatever the market is willing to pay and that fluctuates subject to demand.

If a club won’t sell for what the market’s willing to pay and a club then stumps up some more to make their offer palatable to the selling club then they’ve not made an offer above the market rate they’ve merely set a new market rate.

The only time that anything ever gets sold for below the market value / rate is when that something is sold without the market having access to it and if the seller wants to sell for less than the market is readily offering or would offer if it had the chance - as an act of charity - like if you sold your old car to your son for less than ‘we buy any car‘ et al have already offered you.

And even in that circumstance it could be argued that the sale was at market value as you’d have included emotional outcomes in the price calculation so you’d be getting part payment in cash and part payment in anticipated love. The cash value of that anticipated love would be the difference between the cash received and the cash offered by the open market (as in whatever you could have sold it for if you didn’t discount it for your son).

And who says you can’t put a price on love eh?!

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Maybe someone here can tell us about his weaknesses but on face value he seemed like such an obvious signing for us to make. Strong, mobile, energetic, good on the ball and comfortable in deeper areas.

 

[mu4c_20le]

Mount is better looking. Seriously though, I thought he was going to liverpool. Do city even need him?

 

[aeh1991]

In a few months even those defending Mount will acknowledge that City have made a better signing with Nunes. For €55m that's crazy.

 

[MUFC OK]

Signing him at the right time. He's been looking really good for Wolves since January. Pep can mould him into their system. Maybe one for the Bernardo role? Or is this a KDB backup/replacement.

 

[DJ_21]

Mount is better looking. Seriously though, I thought he was going to liverpool. Do city even need him?

With city it ain’t about wether they need him or not it’s about having squad depth and a bench that’s worth 300m. That’s a team that can challenge for every single trophy.

 

[philippexyz]

This is a profile of a player that we needed to pair with Casemiro in midfield. Press resistant ball carrier, comfortable receiving the ball in deeper areas and dribbling out of(evading) pressing. Then you get better ball retention and more control of games. Other potential options of similar profile are Kouadio Kone, Khephren Thuram and Ryan Gravenberch. I will never stop spamming this idea until we finally get it done(I hope moderators will tolerate me). It is so painfully obvious to me that's what we need.

If you couldn't get Frenkie de Jong, find players that are similar to Frenkie de Jong, even though not necessarily as good/talented/high profile. Don't understand why ETH gave up on that idea. It could cost him his job in the end. Mount wasn't necessary, players i mentioned above were...

 

[strandty]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

 

[Manchester Dan]

€55m seems like a good deal in the current market for a 24yo - can’t help but feel Pep will turn him into an excellent CM in our system. Between Rodri, Kovacic & Nunes we have great cover in that position now.

This is the end for Phillips though.

 

[GledTheRed]

He's a cracking player, yet another midfielder we should have been targeting before MM.

 

[Sly]

€55m seems like a good deal in the current market for a 24yo - can’t help but feel Pep will turn him into an excellent CM in our system. Between Rodri, Kovacic & Nunes we have great cover in that position now.

This is the end for Phillips though.

I think you did a great deal and Pep will help him develop into the world class player I always thought he could be.

Matheus Nunes was one of my favorite players at Sporting. I think he has an incredible potencial, just needs to be in the right club. I was really skeptical when he joined Wolves but I guess he did achieve his objective a year later I suppose.

I'm waiting for his development at City, so he can become an integral part of our National team. Up to him now. Competition will be fierce.

 

[didz]

In a few months even those defending Mount will acknowledge that City have made a better signing with Nunes. For €55m that's crazy.

€55m is an unbelievable price for a player Wolves spent €45m on just last season. Counting his salary, they've turned a profit of about €4m.

Literally, unbelievable.

 

[Bocca9978]

poor Kalvin Phillips...went from leeds to playing for england, then made the move to City and now an outcast for both club and country

Could have told him that would happen. We saw it with Chelsea at one point.
Hopefully he’ll get a chance to leave before it’s too late.

 

[mu4c_20le]

€55m is an unbelievable price for a player Wolves spent €45m on just last season. Counting his salary, they've turned a profit of about €4m.

Literally, unbelievable.

Actually think there was an agreement in place, because iirc he didn't want to move to Wolves and in the end made it clear they were a stepping stone. He was very close to going to Liverpool and was waiting for a CL club.

 

[bosskeano]

fuk me....we are falling so far behind yet these other clubs can spend like drunken sailors with no worry about FFP. We are left once again holding our dicks in our hands