Wolves have slammed Matheus Nunes for his conduct after his £53million switch to Manchester City was confirmed.
The Portugal international went on strike earlier this week in a bid to force through a move to the Treble winners, angering Wolves boss Gary O’Neil.
City were willing to walk away from the deal as the two clubs haggled over a fee but secured Nunes before the transfer deadline – and in time to name him in Saturday’s squad to face Fulham.
Nunes has promised to inject more energy into Manchester City‘s midfield. The 25-year-old will have to wait to meet Pep Guardiola, who remains in Barcelona recovering from back surgery.
‘I’m very energetic – I run a lot,’ Nunes said. ‘The Premier League is very intense and is fast on the attack and counterattack. It suits me in that way. City also play differently – they manage the ball and the game. It’s good for me to get used to that.
Matheus Nunes has completed his £53million move from Wolves to Manchester City
Nunes, 25, has been signed in time to potentially make his debut against Fulham on Saturday
Wolves were furious with Nunes for his conduct as he tried to force a move to City
‘The manager probably the best in the world for so many years now. I’m going to learn so much from him – I can only see myself improving with him and with all the teammates. It’s a top-quality squad. This is going to be a very good journey.’
Wolves sporting director Matt Hobbs hit out at Nunes for his behaviour in trying to force a move to Manchester.
‘I was disappointed with how it ended, it wasn’t necessary the stance Matheus took, but we ended with a good resolution for everyone,’ said Hobbs.
‘Matheus is a hugely talented player but would admit that last season he didn’t hit the heights he expected, but it was a tough season for the team, so maybe he wasn’t allowed to do that.
‘We’ve lost a player with a lot of potential, a lot of ability, but the situation has led to us bringing a greater number of players in to improve the squad and provide competition in the group. The players here want competition in training, so while we’ve lost a good player, it’s made us a more competitive and better squad overall.’
Guardiola was effusive in his praise for Nunes after a Champions League match in which City beat Sporting 5-0 a couple of seasons ago. The Catalan described him as ‘one of the best in the world’ and tracked his progress since.
After a year at Wolves, the pair are now working together. ‘The game we had against City wasn’t very good because we lost 5-0,’ Nunes added.
‘I didn’t see his interview – I only found out the next day when we were at breakfast. Of course, it felt very good to hear something like that from a coach like him. I tried not to think about it because I would have got over the moon and sometimes people get lost with those types of comments.
‘It’s been an easy decision – when I first found out they were interested in me I didn’t think twice. I want to try to make history and put my name in the club.’
Guardiola called ex-Sporting Lisbon midfielder ‘one of the best players in the world’ in 2022
Read More: World News | Entertainment News | Celeb News
Mail Online
