Nunes exit ‘one to keep an eye on’ at Man City as Guardiola chases new star
Matheus Nunes leaving Man City before the start of next season is possible as part of a transfer swap deal, according to a report from The Daily Mail.
The Premier League champions have badly struggled in recent weeks, failing to win in seven games before victory over Nottingham Forest on Wednesday night (4 December).
Those struggles have surely not been helped by the absence of Ballon d’Or winner Rodri due to a season-ending injury.
In an attempt to fix that, Pep Guardiola is apparently keen to sign Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle. Man City are expected to test the Magpies’ resolve over the Brazilian either in January or next summer.
Having baulked at a £100million asking price for the 27-year-old in the summer, it is suggested that a swap deal that involves Nunes heading to St James’ Park as part of a deal is one “to keep an eye on”.
Man City could be taking a risk with Matheus Nunes, Bruno Guimaraes swap deal
Football Insider Opinion
The Portugal international only joined Man City from Wolves in the summer of 2023, and has a contract with the club until the end of the 2027/28 season.
There is no denying that Guimaraes is a very good midfielder at this level, and could certainly do a job for Pep Guardiola’s side.
However, it could also be argued that a swap deal that sees Nunes move in the other direction, would be a risk for the Premier League champions.
Such a move would be a like-for-like swap deal, meaning Man City would not actually be adding any depth to their options in the centre of the park.
As a result, they would still be at risk of injuries leaving them short in that area, at a time when other central midfield options such as Ilkay Gundogan have struggled.
It is also worth noting that at 27-years-old, Guimaraes is in fact a year older than Nunes, so Man City would not be getting a clear longer-term asset out of this either.
With that in mind, those in charge at the Etihad may have to give some significant thought as to whether or not a swap deal such as this would in fact be worth it for the club.
In other news, Man City could be facing a tough decision over the future of Jack Grealish.
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