Matheus Nunes, who recently signed with the Premier League and European Champions, wants to go down in Manchester City history.
Following the departure of Ilkay Gundogan and the long-term injury to Kevin De Bruyne, Nunes became City’s fourth incoming acquisition of the summer by completing a £53 million transfer from Wolves on deadline day.
In order to force a move to City, the Portugal international quit working out at Wolves. Speaking after arriving at the Etihad, Nunes said the move was a no-brainer as soon as he knew of the interest.
Naturally, I’m thrilled to be here. It’s a reality, he declared. “God gifted me this year with the opportunity to play for a major English team, something I’ve always wanted to do. I’m overjoyed and incredibly enthusiastic and can’t wait to get going.
Another important element in Nunes’ decision to join the Blues was the chance to work with Pep Guardiola, who dubbed him the best midfielder in the world when City met Sporting in 2022.
He said: “There’s a lot of factors. Being the champions is amazing for me to come here. The coach as well. It’s a huge club – it’s the best you can get, the best opportunities, the best structures. There were a lot of factors that influenced my decision to come here. It’s been an easy one – when I first found out they were interested in me I didn’t think twice. I’m very happy to be here.
“[Guardiola] is 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.
“I want to help the team, play as much as I can, help the club achieve their goals and win every title. I want to try to make history and put my name in the club.
“The game we had against City wasn’t very good because we lost 5-0 when I was playing at Sporting. I didn’t see his [Guardiola’s] 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.”
Nunes has told City what they can anticipate from him as a new midfielder to the team. He will battle for minutes in the middle alongside Rodri, Mateo Kovacic, De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, and Phil Foden.
“I have a lot of energy. He declared, “I run a lot. “The Premier League is extremely competitive and quick to attack and counterattack. That is how I like it. City also plays differently, managing both the game and the ball. It’s beneficial for me to adjust to that.
“I want to put up the most goals I can. I want to aid the team and provide assists. I want to always provide my best effort. Even if scoring goals is the best part of sport, all I want to do is do my best for the team.
