Manchester City have tabled an opening offer in excess of £50m for Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Matheus Nunes as they look to bolster their ranks before the final week of the transfer window.
The Cityzens have already recruited Croatian duo Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic from RB Leipzig and Chelsea respectively, and are thought to have agreed a deal for Rennes winger Jeremy Doku, which will set them back a further £60m.
However, Pep Guardiola’s side are not set to stop there, and after news that Lucas Paqueta’s proposed move to the Etihad Stadium from West Ham broke down amid concern over betting offences, they have identified Wolves midfielder Nunes as an alternative.
As per Fabrizio Romano, the Cityzens have tabled their first offer, and their ‘proposal is in excess of €50m fee with add-ons discussed in the package’.
Nunes, meanwhile, has already accepted personal terms with the treble winners, meaning that should a transfer fee be agreed the move should prove easy to complete. Signed just last summer for 45m euros, Wolves would be making a small profit on the midfielder but the move could well free up funds for the FFP restricted side to strengthen across their squad.
Manchester City’s need for a midfielder, already laid bare by Ilkay Gundogan’s departure, was made even more pressing by injury to Kevin De Bruyne in the opening game of the Premier League season, with the Belgian not expected to play again in 2023 after undergoing surgery on his hamstring.
The additional departure of Riyad Mahrez has seen City spring into action in the transfer window, and they are expected to become the second biggest spenders in the division before the deadline, with only Chelsea having spent more than Guardiola’s side.
Should they fail to land Nunes, it is believed that they are also strong admirers of Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze, though he would likely cost well in excess of £60m this late in the transfer window with Palace reluctant to sell.
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