- City reach agreement with Wolves for Nunes
- Midfielder to cost £53 million
- Doyle to join Wolves on loan
Manchester City have reached an agreement with Wolverhampton Wanderers for the acquisition of midfielder Matheus Nunes at a cost of £53 million.
The deal includes a 10% sell-on clause for Wolves from any profit City make on the 25-year-old in future. Nunes has now been cleared to have a medical with the Manchester club.
Deal to go through after previous offer rejected and Wolves to sign Doyle on loan with option to buy.
In the past week, Manchester City’s previous offer for the Portuguese midfielder was turned down by Wolves. At that time, Wolves were reported to be seeking a fee exceeding £60 million.
Nunes has been absent from training recently, reportedly due to his strong desire to join Pep Guardiola’s side. And yesterday afternoon it was reported that a deal had been agreed.
Separately, Wolves have agreed to secure the services of Tommy Doyle, an English Under-21 international from Manchester City, on a loan basis. There’s also an option for Wolves to secure a permanent transfer for £4.3 million. Furthermore, this deal includes a significant clause that would entitle Manchester City to a portion of any future sale of Doyle. The figure is reputed to be 50%.
These two transactions have occurred after Manchester City decided not to meet Wolves’ initial valuation of Nunes, which exceeded £60 million. This decision by Manchester City to pursue these deals also comes in light of Kevin de Bruyne’s recent hamstring injury, which is expected to keep him sidelined for up to four months.
Lucas Paqueta of West Ham was previously considered as an option for Manchester City. However, it has since come to light that the Brazilian midfielder, aged 25, is under investigation by the Football Association for potential breaches of betting rules.
Last summer, Wolves signed Matheus Nunes on a five-year contract, setting a club-record fee of £38 million in his transfer from Sporting Lisbon. Nunes played a pivotal role during the latter part of the previous season, contributing to Wolves’ successful avoidance of relegation and securing a 13th-place finish in the league table.
Betting implications
City have got the added strength in depth that they wanted in midfield, which will reinforce their position as the team to beat and the bookie’s favourites. Bettors need to wait until the season is a few more games in, however, the indications are that they will be a good outright bet and a good team to go for on home wins. Wolves did not want to lose Nunes, however, the club are changing tack a little and heading in a more traditional direction so the injection of cash and the addition of Doyle could prove positive. Punters will have to anaylse how they are going after a few more games.
