-Ikenna Okafor
Manchester United are set to battle out with rivals Manchester City for the signature of Pep Guardiola favourite Matheus Nunes. The Primeira Liga outfit are willing to offload the midfielder for €50million (£43m) for the exchange of a player on loan.
According to Portuguese outlet Correio Da Manha, following the departures of Jesse Lingard and Paul Pogba, United have turned their attention to the 23-year-old who the club believe has a “big margin to progress.”
The Citizens are reportedly leading the race to acquire Nunes given their “good relationship” with Sporting, after the latest transfer negotiation of Pedro Porro. The ex-City winger had been on loan at the Lisbon side since 2020, after failing to make an appearance for Guardiola’s first team upon his move from Girona in 2019.
But the publication also points out that Sporting have a good relationship with the Red Devils following previous transfer negotiations between the two parties including Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes.
Nunes has been linked with a move to the Etihad since City’s Champions League meeting with Ruben Amorim’s side back in February. The Spanish boss publicly hailed the midfielder as “one of the best players in the world today.”
However, due to the ongoing Nations League, the report states that a formal proposal is likely to be presented after the international break as Nunes is currently away with the Portugal national team. The 22-year-old made the move to the Lions in 2019 after a brief spell at Estoril.
Despite currently holding a €60m (£51m) release clause, the club are willing to negotiate for a lower fee of €50million (£43m) aforementioned in the exchange for a player on loan.
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