Wolves Matheus Nunes close to joining Man City for £47.2m ($92.6 AUD)

Wolves’ Matheus Nunes will reportedly join Man City for £47.2m ($92.6 AUD). This is a major blow to Wolves’ relegation chances this season.

Manchester City are set to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Matheus Nunes for a reported £47.2m ($92.6 AUD). 

Nunes, a Portuguese international, joined Wolves just last August for £42m ($84.4m AUD). He has made it clear he does not want to stay in Wolverhampton and has not trained with the Wolves squad since last Saturday. He is also one of the team’s best players. 

Wolves reportedly slapped a £60m ($117.7m AUD) price tag on Nunes earlier in the window. They are now willing to accept a lower price from Man City in exchange for also getting Tommy Doyle on loan. 

Man City got their Mahrez replacement

Man City are one of many teams who have been affected by Saudi Arabia’s spending spree this transfer window. The Citizens lost Riyad Mahrez to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli for £30m earlier in the window. 

Mahrez was never a consistent starter for Pep Guardiola at Man City, but the club have been desperate to replace him as he was a valuable attacking depth option. Players like Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma, RB Leipzig’s Dani Olmo, and West Ham’s Lucas Paquetá are just some of the many names alongside Nunes’ that have been linked to Man City this transfer window. 

It now appears the Citizens have made their choice. Matteus Nunes will be Man City’s Riyad Mahrez replacement. The Sky Blues are also reportedly interested in another midfielder to replace İlkay Gündoğan, who joined Barcelona this summer. 

There are only a few days left in the transfer window, so Man City will have to move quickly with the Nunes move and with any other potential transfers.

Major blow to Wolves

After starting the season poorly, Wolves comfortably avoided relegation last season thanks to the signing of Julen Lopetegui. The Spanish manager took over in November when Wolves were sitting precariously at the bottom of the table. Under Lopetegui’s management, Wolves finished 13th. 

Despite the strong finish to last season, hopes were not high in Wolverhampton. The club’s financial issues meant there would be little to no new signings. Things went from bad to worse when Lopetegui resigned just days before the 2023-24 Premier League season kicked off, citing lack of investment.

Most betting sites tipped Wolves to go down, even with Lopetegui. Their odds got even shorter following the appointment of former Bournemouth manager Gary O'Neil. With Nunes gone, it would not be surprising to see Wolves chances of going down grow even greater. 

The 25-year-old midfielder did not pull up any trees at Wolves last season, but it is very clear that he is one of their best players. Without him, Wolves could have a tough season. 

On the bright side, funds from the Nunes sale could be reinvested into Wolves’ squad. Leicester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho is one of many players recently linked to Wolves. Strasbourg’s Habib Diarra is another name Wolves fans should look out for. 

Tommy Doyle to Wolves on separate deal

Most reports on the Nunes to Man City transfer say that City midfielder Tommy Doyle will be going the other way. However, the deal will not be a straight up player exchange along with Man City’s £47.2m. 

Wolves will acquire Tommy Doyle on loan with an option to buy for just £4.3m ($8.4m AUD). Doyle spent last season on loan at Sheffield United where he helped them earn promotion from the Championship. 

Man City are set to sign Wolves’ Matheus Nunes for £47.2m ($92.6 AUD). Nunes is being widely-touted as a Riyad Mahrez replacement in Manchesters. For Wolves, this move makes their chances of staying up even slimmer, but it may allow them to invest in some players before the transfer window ends.