Manchester City ready to splash the cash on Sporting ace Matheus Nunes to replace outgoing star

Manchester City are lining up a bid worth £34million for Sporting star Mautheus Nunes in the coming transfer window, as per a report. 

Despite announcing the transfer of Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund last Wednesday, Man City are now looking for Fernandinho’s replacement. This is according to a report from Portuguese outlet Correio da Manhã, who have confirmed the impending exit of Nunes this summer.

The 23-year-old is looking likely to be City’s option to succeed Fernandinho.

The Cityzens, however, are waiting until the end of Portugal’s domestic season before making any advances on the deal.

The Portugal international has appeared 50 times in all competitions this season. Nunes is already said to have convinced Pep Guardiola of his talent.

The midfielder will carry a hefty price tag however, but, this is reportedly not a problem for City.

They would prefer the fee to stay around the £34m mark, the report states. It is not, however, the maximum that they will fork out for the 23-year-old.

The source also claims that Sporting are interested in seeing a deal go through due to the good relationship between the clubs.

How good is Nunes?

Over the course of the season, Nunes has been the backbone to Ruben Amorim’s team.

The midfielder has averaged a rating of 7.06 over the course of the season, according to WhoScored. This is a very respectable rating for Portugal’s top flight and outlines the talent he has.

During the campaign he has also made 1.3 tackles , 0.9 interceptions and 0.7 clearances per game.

Which, when compared to Fernandinho who has 1.0 tackles , 0.7 interceptions and 0.5 clearances per game shows how good he is.

Nunes is still only 23 years old and can develop into an even better player if given the chance to prove himself.

He also reportedly turned down a move to Bruno Lage’s Wolves in the summer amid the interest Man City showed in him.

Why Nunes would fit City’s system

He is a box-to-box midfielder which would allow the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva to advance into attacking positions.

His 6’0 frame and confidence in dropping deep are both key reasons why he is the perfect Fernandinho replacement.

The 23-year-old’s composure is also second-to-none as he scans the pitch and can comfortably hold his own.

Despite being a defensive-minded player, he admires Ronaldinho and he has even said he bases his game off of the legendary Brazilian.

“Ronaldinho is my idol,” he told Sindicato dos Jugadores. “I’ve always tried to imitate him since I was a kid, and I’ve always liked the way he played.”

Nunes would be an ideal candidate to replace Fernandinho and become a vital cog in the City machine.