According to a report in Sport Witness, Man United are set to rival Manchester City in the signing of Sporting midfielder Matheus Nunes.
Matheus Nunes enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2020/21 and last year, he was supposed to join Everton for just £15m. However, this deal did not go through and he ended up staying with Sporting. He signed a contract extension in October of last year and under the terms of his new deal, there is a £51million release clause in his contract.
In the previous year, he’s upped his performance – going on to play as many as 50 games for Sporting across all competitions. His performances in the past 12 months have attracted praise from Pep Guardiola himself so it’s not a big surprise that both the Manchester clubs want to bring him on board.
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What kind of a player is Matheus Nunes?
Matheus Nunes is primarily a central midfielder but over the years, he has also deputised as a defensive midfielder.
He is very composed with the ball at his feet and one of his main traits is to come out of tight situations using his 6’0 frame and his dribbling skills.
The 23-year-old is a proper work-horse and a box-to-box midfielder meaning he can put in the miles on the pitch – both in his own half as well as in the opponent’s penalty area.
When Everton were chasing him, Matheus Nunes was not the best forward passer but in this previous season, he’s worked on that flaw as well and right now, he’s a brilliant eye for a pass.
Man United or Man City: Who’s more likely to sign him?
Man City is the obvious choice for any player right now because under Guardiola, silverware is a guarantee. However, City currently have some of the best midfielders in their squad so it will be very hard for Matheus Nunes to get constant game time.
Pep has players like Bernardo Silva, Gundogan, De Bruyne and even Phil Foden can play in midfield so Nunes will have to be extraordinary to find starts every weekend.
However, at Man United, it will be a lot easier for the 23-year-old to find a place in the first XI because the likes of Matic, Paul Pogba, Juan Mata and Lingard have all left the club.
Man United are trying to sign Frenkie de Jong but even if the Dutch midfielder arrives, Matheus Nunes can very easily slot in alongside the now Barcelona man.
United might not be able to offer Champions League football next season but they can compensate for that by making Nunes one of the key midfield figures in the team next season.
