Leeds United have reportedly joined Liverpool in the race for highly-rated Sporting Lisbon midfielder Matheus Nunes.
Portuguese outlet Record have reported that the Whites are in the mix to sign the 23-year-old, and have been tracking him since the end of last season. Sporting have reportedly told Leeds they will need ‘at least €50 million’ (£42.7 million) to land Nunes.
With Leeds linked with the midfielder, here is everything you need to know about Nunes.
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Who is Matheus Nunes?
Matheus Nunes in a 23-year-old midfielder who plays for Sporting Lisbon. Nunes was born in Rio de Janeiro, but chose to represent Portugal at international level having lived there since the age of 12.
The midfielder has been linked with a host of English clubs in the past 12 months, including Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City Everton, Wolves and Newcastle United.
What has Matheus Nunes done so far?
Nunes has four pieces of silverware under his belt at Sporting, winning the league once, the league cup twice, and the Portuguese Super Cup once.
Sporting won the league title in the 2020/21 season, and Nunes played 31 games as they finished five points clear at the top of the division.
Having signed for Sporting in 2019, he has clocked up 99 first-team appearances for the club, scoring seven goals and assisting eight.
Nunes had the choice of playing for Brazil or Portugal, and in September 2021 he was convinced by Fernando Santos to play for the latter. Since then, he has made eight caps for Portugal, scoring his first goal against Turkey in March. He is now a regular in Santos' squad, but is still yet to complete a full 90 minutes for the national team.
What type of player is Matheus Nunes?
Nunes is a modern-day number eight who is capable of doing both sides of the game effectively. He is classy on the ball, possessing a good range of passing, while he can also shoot from range.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about Nunes is his dribbling and in particular his ability to turn away from a marker at speed. According to fbref.com, Nunes was the most fouled Sporting Lisbon player in the Portuguese top flight last season. He was fouled 70 times, 14 more than the next best on the team. The midfielder also made 3.19 successful dribbles per 90.
Defensively, Nunes ranks well on some stats. Out of all Sporting Lisbon players, only Sebastian Coates made more than his 30 interceptions, and only four players toppled his 25 tackles won, according to fbref.com. Nunes' height of 6'0" is also quite deceiving - he's an imposing presence in the middle of the pitch. His long strides allow him to cover ground at speed.
A silky dribbler, a good range of passing and an ability to break up play - Nunes is a modern-day, well-rounded number eight.
What have people said about Matheus Nunes?
There aren't many people in football you'd rather receive praise off than Pep Guardiola. The serial trophy winner and Manchester City boss is a huge fan of the Leeds United-linked player.
"Matheus Nunes is one of the best players, I would actually say in world football," said Guardiola following Manchester City's Champions League round of 16 clash with Sporting Lisbon in March.
If Leeds were to sign Nunes, then according to Guardiola, they would be getting one of the best players in the world.
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