- City interested in Nunes
- Have cooled interest in Paqueta
- Guardiola wants cover for injured De Bruyne
WHAT HAPPENED? According to The Athletic, City are actively assessing the possibility of acquiring Matheus Nunes from Wolves before the closure of the summer transfer window. The club’s initial interest in Lucas Paqueta from West Ham United was disrupted by an ongoing Football Association (FA) inquiry related to potential betting breaches, and they have turned to Nunes as an alternative option.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Moreover, according to Mail Sport, City have also been scouting Crystal Palace midfielder Eberechi Eze for the last six months and he is also now on the club’s shortlist of targets alongside Nunes. It is believed that Palace will demand £70 million ($88.60m) as a transfer fee as the player has two years remaining on his contract.
AND WHAT’S MORE: City are grappling with the absence of Kevin De Bruyne due to a hamstring injury, which is set to keep him out of action for at least four months. The departure of Ilkay Gundogan to Barcelona has also left City in a bind, with Pep Guardiola desperate to reinforce his midfield further after signing Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea earlier in the summer.
WHAT NEXT? Wolves’ current financial woes could make them open to bids for Nunes. However, it remains to be seen if City submit a bid high enough to convince the Wanderers to part with a prized asset.
