Now confirmed
This article first appeared on Aug. 16 and has been updated with new information.
Wolves have agreed a fee with Sporting for midfielder Matheus Nunes which would see the club break their own transfer record. The transfer was confirmed by both clubs just after midnight on Thursday. According to the Athletic, the Premier League side will pay €45 million, along with a further €5 million in future payments for the 23-year-old talent. Nunes, who had four years left on his deal in Portugal, has a market value of €35m and will become Sporting’s second most expensive departure.
Ronaldo, Moutinho & Co. – The most expensive homegrown players to leave Sporting
“We are very happy to welcome Matheus to Wolverhampton, and delighted to add another exciting young talent to Bruno’s squad,” Wolves chairman Jeff Shi said in a club statement. “Matheus has had two excellent seasons at the top level in Portugal with Sporting and is widely regarded as one of the most exciting prospects in world football, so we are thrilled that he has chosen the Premier League and Wolves as the next step in what we hope will be a fantastic career.”
Originally born in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, Nunes made the move to Portugal at the age of 12, where he came through the youth ranks at Ericeirense, before joining Estoril in 2018. The player was then signed by Sporting one year later for no more than €950k, which suggests that the central midfielder’s value has shot up by 4500% in the space of two years as he’s gone from strength to strength over the course of two full seasons in the Sporting first team.
Matheus Nunes to Wolves – Following well trodden path
While a move to the Premier League may be a step up for the Liga Portugal star, Nunes is at least following a well trodden path which has seen a number of Portuguese players make the move to Molineux Stadium in recent years. Indeed, should the midfielder complete a move to Wolves, he’ll not only be their most expensive signing ever but also the fifth Portuguese player in the club’s 10 most expensive signings ever.
Wolves are reportedly on the verge of signing Matheus Nunes from Sporting
Which undoubtedly continues the club’s preference for Portuguese stars pic.twitter.com/80I2b1Zet1
— Transfermarkt.co.uk (@TMuk_news) August 16, 2022
Although the Portuguese top-flight now makes a habit of selling such stars, Nunes is still set to become the division’s joint-seventh most expensive export ever. Although his talent may not demand the kind of fees handed over for attacking players like João Félix or Darwin Núñez, the impending move to Wolves should place the midfielder level with James Rodríguez’s move to Monaco in 2013 and Eliaquim Mangala’s move to Manchester City in 2014.
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