Manchester United are set to go head-to-head with neighbours Manchester City in the race to sign Sporting midfielder Matheus Nunes, according to reports.
The 23-year-old has enjoyed a stunning few seasons in the Portuguese capital, helping Sporting to their first top-flight title in 19 years in 2021. He was then part of the squad which reached the Champions League knockout stages this term, where they were heavily beaten on aggregate by Pep Guardiola's side.
City ran out 5-0 winners in the first leg at the Estadio Jose Alvalade, but Nunes still caught the eye with Guardiola describing him as “one of the best players in world football.” Last month, Portuguese news outlet Correio da Manha claimed that the City boss had earmarked Nunes as a potential heir apparent to the departing Fernandinho.
The report added that Guardiola was ‘convinced’ about signing him and planned to make a bid in the region of £34million. That same publication via Sport Witness , now suggest that United are monitoring his situation, with an offer expected in the coming days.
New Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag is in dire need of reinforcements in the middle of the park with Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata all leaving at the end of their contracts. Ten Hag is reportedly prioritising a move for a No.6 and would like a new signing to arrive before pre-season gets underway at the end of the month.
Nunes has a release clause of €60m (£51m), but there is the belief that a deal could be done for slightly less than that value, if a player was added into the mix. The Independent recently reported that United were open to the idea of using players as makeweights in deals with Andreas Pereira mooted as an option in negotiations for Darwin Nunez.
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City are said to be leading the race due to the clubs’ close relationship, but United could steal a march on their local rivals, with reports a bid is being readied for the end of the Nations League fixtures in late June. Old Trafford bosses also have very recent experience of dealing with Sporting, having landed Bruno Fernandes at the end of a long and winding pursuit in January 2020.
For both United and City, they will need to be at their persuasive best to land Nunes however, with the Portugal international having previously revealed he hopes to stay in Lisbon for as long as possible. This isn’t the first time there has been Premier League interest either, after Everton launched a bid during last year’s summer transfer window.
“To be honest the only thing that came to me was Everton’s interest but nothing happened as I was on vacation,” he explained in December. “To be honest the only thing that came to me was Everton’s interest but nothing happened as I was on vacation.”
Nunes is represented by super agent Jorge Mendes, who helped facilitate Cristiano Ronaldo ’s return to United last year, as well as bringing a host of players from Portugal to the Premier League in recent years. But the player himself said that doesn’t necessarily mean he will follow the same path as so many before him.
“I don’t believe that this will open more doors for me because they also know that my desire is to stay at Sporting for as long as possible,” he added. “I want to achieve many more things and win every game to keep learning and growing.
“My focus is to improve and I don’t think about anything else. This day of thinking about another league may come – or not.”
