Pep Guardiola has sent a clear message to Manchester City over a player he ‘desperately’ wants to keep at the club.
Manchester City are enjoying a strong start to the Club World Cup and have become the first team to win all their group games after smashing Juventus 5-2 in Orlando.
Jeremy Doku got the ball rolling with a fine finish and, though Juventus instantly levelled, they were no match for City, who soon pulled away thanks to an own goal and strikes from Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and Savinho.
Pep Guardiola’s side have already pocketed over £10m in the competition and have set up a date with Joao Cancelo’s Al-Hilal in the last 16.
The budding partnership between Doku and Rayan Ait-Nouri earned most of the headlines after the match but Matheus Nunes also enjoyed a fine performance at right-back.
The Portuguese set up two goals with lung-busting runs forward in the Floridian heat and perfectly placed passes across the face of goal.
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There remains uncertainty over the futures of many of City’s stars in the transfer window but Guardiola has made it clear he wants to keep Nunes.
Matheus Nunes prepares to take a throw-in during Man City vs Juventus.
Photo by Marc Guelber/Sports Press Photo/Getty Images
Pep Guardiola is desperate to keep Matheus Nunes at Manchester City
Guardiola wants a smaller squad, even if Bernardo Silva doesn’t, and the likes of Jack Grealish, James McAtee and Kyle Walker are expected to follow Kevin De Bruyne out of the door.
Nunes has had an uncertain future himself, but it’s now clear Guardiola wants to keep him.
Speaking in his post-match press conference, Guardiola was full of praise for Nunes’ performance and how he has seamlessly adapted to playing right-back.
“Matheus, for needs, has adapted unbelievably as a full-back,” he said. “I think he can be an incredible full-back, because he is smart going from outside, when he goes inside, he attacks really good in the spaces.
“Like he’s a holding midfielder, has the quality to play there. He has incredible pace that we don’t have. The pace for the second goal, the movement happened in behind.
“So, yeah, I think Matheus has done an incredible step up. We need him a lot. I want him desperately to be with us.
“He’s incredibly loved. Matheus is a funny, funny guy. He doesn’t look like it when he plays football, but yeah, really, really pleased.
“He’s incredible, can be an incredible full-back.”
Matheus Nunes could help save Man City millions in the transfer window
With Walker expected to leave the club this summer following his late-season loan stint at AC Milan last term, City have been strongly linked with a new full-back.
Tino Livramento did emerge as the top target but Newcastle United are reluctant to sell ahead of their return to the Champions League.
It would likely cost City a hefty sum for any full-back as good as Livramento but with Nunes’ emergence as a genuine option in the position, they might not need to buy one.
City also have Rico Lewis in reserve as well as Manuel Akanji, John Stones and Abdukodir Khusanov, who can all play right-back.
In a PSR world, any money City can save is valuable.