Wolves criticise Matheus Nunes in brutal statement following £53m move to Man City

Wolves say they are "disappointed" with how Matheus Nunes' time at the club ended after he completed a £53 million move to Manchester City on deadline day.

The 25-year-old Portuguese forward, who only joined Wolves from Sporting CP last summer for a club record fee of £42 million, was keen on making the switch to Manchester.

In fact, at the end of last month, Nunes faced disciplinary action over his absence from training after he expressed his desire to join the reigning Premier League champions.

Wolves recently rejected an offer worth €55 million [£47m], according to The Athletic, but both clubs eventually agreed on a reported £53 million fee, with Nunes penning a five-year deal at the Etihad.

“I’m so happy to be joining Manchester City, the Champions of Europe and a club I’ve admired for a long time," he said.

Nunes added: “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.

“I learned so much during my season at Wolves and I’m excited to continue improving in the Premier League, a division which brings the best out of me.

"I’m really excited to get going, meet the fans and hopefully be a part of plenty more success at City.”

Wolves sporting director Matt Hobbs, meanwhile, has appeared to publicly criticise Nunes for his behaviour in the build-up to his big-money move to City.

He said: "I was disappointed with how it ended, it wasn't necessary the stance Matheus took, but we ended with a good resolution for everyone.

"Matheus is a hugely talented player but would admit that last season he didn't hit the heights he expected, but it was a tough season for the team, so maybe he wasn't allowed to do that.

"We've lost a player with a lot of potential, a lot of ability, but the situation has led to us bringing a greater number of players in to improve the squad and provide competition in the group.

"The players here want competition in training, so while we've lost a good player, it's made us a more competitive and better squad overall."

Welcome, Matheus Nunes! 👋 pic.twitter.com/Ba4vExfLAz

— Manchester City (@ManCity) September 1, 2023

Pep Guardiola has been a fan of Nunes for some time. Last year, the Spaniard singled out the midfielder for special praise after City beat Sporting 5-0 in the Champions League.

"Matheus Nunes is one of the best players in the world today," Guardiola said at the time.

"Despite the difficulties and some mistakes, I have to be very satisfied because we took a big step towards the next round... Nunes is one of the best at the moment."

Nunes recently said he tried to not get too carried away after Pep Guardiola's praise.

“I didn't even see his interview, I only found out the next day when we were at breakfast in the club. Of course it felt very good to hear something like that from a coach like he is," he said.

“It felt good, but I tried not to think about it because I would get too over the moon, you know.

“I know sometimes people get lost in those type of comments, so I tried not to think about it, but of course it's very good to hear it.”