Man City believe they can sign PL star who’s better than Nunes for £80m
Manchester City made history when they won the club's first treble in the 2022/23 campaign by securing the Premier League title, the FA Cup, and the Champions League.
It was also the first Champions League trophy for the Cityzens as Pep Guardiola and his men ran riot on all fronts to showcase their dominance domestically and in Europe.
Despite their incredible season, City opted to dip into the transfer market to splash the cash on new signings to bolster the manager's squad ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
Josko Gvardiol, Jeremy Doku, Mateo Kovacic, and Matheus Nunes were all brought in, whilst Riyad Mahrez, Aymeric Laporte, and Cole Palmer were allowed to depart.
Whilst Gvardiol, who started 26 Premier League matches, and Kovacic, who played in 30 of the club's 38 league games, played important roles in the club's title success, Nunes did not enjoy as successful a debut season at The Etihad.
Guardiola could now land an upgrade on the former Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielders by securing a deal to sign one of the club's reported transfer targets.
Man City's interest in Premier League star
According to TEAMtalk, Manchester City are one of the teams interested in a potential deal to sign Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United this summer.
The report claims that the Brazil international had a release clause in his contract that would have allowed him to move on for a fee of £100m before the end of June.
That clause has now expired and any club wanting to sign the former Lyon starlet would need to negotiate a fee with the Magpies for his services.
TEAMtalk states that there is confidence from City sources that they would be able to secure an agreement with Newcastle for a fee in the region of £80m, £20m less than his expired release clause.
It adds that fellow Premier League title challengers Arsenal are also interested in the Brazilian maestro and also believe that they could sign Guimaraes for £80m.
However, the outlet reveals that the right-footed gem, who was signed from Lyon for £40m in January 2022, is currently happy at St. James' Park and is in no rush to seal an exit from Tyneside.
TEAMtalk reports that both Arsenal and City do believe that he would be interested in playing for them, though, and that a move to The Etihad is the most likely option for him if he does decide to call time on his spell with Newcastle.
If Guardiola can convince the talented whiz to join his squad before the end of the summer then he could come in as a big upgrade on Nunes in midfield.
Matheus Nunes' underwhelming season
The Cityzens reportedly splashed out a mega fee of £53m to sign the Portugal international from fellow Premier League side Wolves last summer.
Instead of hitting the ground running as a key first-team player for the Spanish boss, Nunes struggled to prove that he was ready to be a regular in the team.
The 25-year-old midfielder should be in the prime years of his career, as he is not a young player in the early years of his senior journey, but did not show enough to suggest that he is going to be crucial for City next term.
Appearances
19
Starts
9
Goals
0
Assists
2
Ground duel success rate
50%
Aerial duel success rate
44%
As you can see in the table above, the Portuguese flop only started nine of the club's 38 league matches and only featured in 19 in total – missing out on getting on the pitch in the other 19 games.
He only contributed with two goal involvements – two assists – in those 19 matches, which shows that the former Wolves ace struggled to make much of an impact at the top end of the pitch.
His lack of physicality out of possession was also evident with a duel success rate of just 49%. This shows that opposition players found it too easy to get the better of him in physical contests, on the deck and in the air.
That may have contributed to Guardiola opting not to use him week-in-week-out in the Premier League, as he could not be relied upon in duels or to contribute in the final third.
Why Man City should sign Bruno Guimaraes
The Cityzens should now swoop to sign Guimaraes from Newcastle on a permanent deal for £80m this summer as he is a proven performer who could come in and hit the ground running at The Etihad.
He has been a fantastic player in the middle of the park for the Magpies in recent seasons and played a crucial role in their qualification for the Champions League in the 2022/23 campaign.
The Brazilian star produced four goals and five assists in 32 Premier League starts that term to help them to finish fourth in the division, sealing a place in Europe's premier cup competition.
Guimaraes followed that up with a string of outstanding displays in midfield for Eddie Howe's side last season, albeit they failed to finish inside the top four for a second season in succession.
Appearances
37
19
Goals
7
0
Assists
8
2
Big chances created
12
2
Tackles + interceptions per game
3.3
1.1
Duel success rate
57%
49%
As you can see in the table above, the Magpies sensation offered far more to his team in and out of possession than Nunes did for City in his first year with the club.
The Newcastle ace, who was described as "special" by U23 scout Antonio Mango, proved himself to carry a big threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals, which is something the Portuguese flop failed to do.
He also showcased his ability out of possession with 2.2 more tackles and interceptions combined per match and a higher success rate in his physical duels.
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These statistics suggest that Guimaraes would come in as an immediate upgrade on Nunes, as he is a better player who offers more on and off the ball in a central midfield role, and that is why City should swoop to sign him.