Sporting Lisbon midfielder Matheus Nunes is reportedly 'waiting' for a move to Liverpool, despite apparent interest from another Premier League club.
The 23-year-old, who rose to prominence after a breakthrough season during the 2021/22 campaign, has been linked with a move to Anfield this summer and those rumours have intensified following the news current Reds midfielder Thiago Alcantara is set to be sidelined for at least a month with the hamstring strain he suffered against Fulham on Saturday afternoon.
Reports from Portugal, via the Daily Mirror, state Nunes has 'rejected a big-money contract' from fellow Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers in an attempt to hold out for a move to Liverpool, as he wants to 'compete' in the Champions League'.
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Nunes is said to be managed by Portuguese super agent Jorge Mendes, which makes rumours linking him with a switch to the Midlands little surprise following the influx of Portuguese players who have walked through the doors of Molineux since the club was taken over by Fosun International in 2017.
At Anfield, Jurgen Klopp is set to be without Curtis Jones, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Thiago for their maiden home game of the new Premier League season, which sees Crystal Palace visit Merseyside next Monday evening.
Jones is currently nursing a "stress reaction" in his calf and is expected to be sidelined for the next couple of weeks, with his manager hoping his injury lay-off isn't a lengthy one as they "caught it in the right moment". Meanwhile, the Reds will be without Oxlade-Chamberlain for a little longer as a result of the "serious" hamstring injury he suffered against Monday night's opponents during the pre-season tour of Asia back in July.
Temporary loan switches for Leighton Clarkson and Tyler Morton, to Aberdeen and Blackburn Rovers respectively, mean Klopp's options in the centre of the park have been additionally whittled down as a result.
Further, reports linking the Reds with a move for the Portugal international seem to have also strengthened because of the relationship current sporting director Julian Ward appears to have struck up with Primera Liga sides in recent months; with the club completing swoops for Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez since the turn of the year.
But despite fresh reports surrounding the midfielder, who primarily plays as a No.8 for Ruben Amorim's side, the ECHO reported back in June that Liverpool would be unlikely to pursue a move for a midfielder this summer. The Reds - who are big fans of Borussia Dortmund prodigy Jude Bellingham - are setting their stall out to improve their midfield department in 2023. It remains to be seen if the injury situation could change the club's stance on summer recruitment.
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