Man City have £47m bid for 'one of the best players in the world' rejected

Suraj Radia

24 Aug 2023 11:31 BST
3 min read

Manchester City have had a bid REJECTED by Wolverhampton Wanderers for Matheus Nunes after identifying the midfielder as the next transfer target for Pep Guardiola.

Article continues under the video

City had been hoping to secure a deal for West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta but the deal collapsed due to an investigation by the FA into a breach of betting rules.

An €85 million deal had reportedly all but been agreed for Paqueta, however City have been forced to move onto other targets, with Nunes now the subject of an approach.

REVEALED: City had transfer AGREED for Brazil star

Guardiola has been a long-term admirer of Nunes and called the 24-year-old ‘one of the best players in the world’ when he featured for Sporting Lisbon against City in 2021.

City submitted an offer worth €55m for Nunes but the bid was immediately rejected after falling ‘well short of Wolves’ valuation’ according to the Daily Telegraph, with the Midlands outfit having paid €45m for the Portuguese international last summer.

Guardiola’s side are expected to test Wolves’ resolve with another bid as City look to seal a deal before next week’s transfer deadline.

City eye De Bruyne replacement

City have been on the lookout for a midfielder after Kevin De Bruyne’s injury, which will see the Belgian out of action for at least the next three months.

Nunes, who has also been a long-term target for Liverpool, is believed to be City’s top target despite tentative interest in Ebrechi Eze of Crystal Palace.

OPTIONS: Eze targeted by City after Paqueta failure

The Wolves man will miss his side’s next Premier League game after being sent off in the defeat to Brighton last weekend but a deal could take longer to be struck with City.

Meanwhile, Jeremy Doku is expected to formally complete his €60m move from Rennes to City, having been lined up as a replacement for Riyad Mahrez, who moved to Saudi Arabia earlier in the window.