Man City sign Matheus Nunes to take summer spending past £200m mark

The Portugal international arrives as Cole Palmer departs for Chelsea on transfer deadline day

(Getty Images)

Manchester City have signed midfielder Matheus Nunes from Wolves to take their summer spending to around £200m.

The Portugal international, who cost £47.2 million, has signed a five-year deal at the Etihad and becomes Pep Guardiola’s fourth summer recruit.

Mateo Kovacic cost £25m, Josko Gvardiol £77m and Jeremy Doku £55m, although the signing of Nunes was in effect paid for when City sold Cole Palmer to Chelsea for an initial £40m.

FOLLOW LIVE: Transfer deadline day rumours, latest news and done deals

Nunes, who went on strike at Wolves by refusing to train as he sought to force a move, scored one goal in 40 games for the Midlands club after a club-record £38m move from Sporting Lisbon last summer.

Guardiola described Nunes as one of the best players in the world when Sporting faced City in the Champions League in 2022 and the midfielder said he was excited by the chance to play for the manager.

Nunes stated: “I’m so happy to be joining Manchester City, the champions of Europe and a club I’ve admired for a long time.

“The opportunity to work under Pep Guardiola, one of the greatest managers ever, and alongside some of the best players in the world was something I simply couldn’t turn down.”

City director of football Txiki Begiristain added: “Matheus is a fine player. We are really happy he is here, and we know he will help us this season and beyond.

“He possesses real quality and will bring a fresh dynamic to this team. He is a player who can play passes that open defences, he can beat players and he is technically excellent.

“Everyone knows Pep improves players – we have seen it so often – and we cannot wait to see how Matheus develops under his management.”

:: Get all the latest football betting sites offers here and the latest odds on transfer deadline day deals here.