Wolves hit out at £53m Matheus Nunes in a scathing statement as his move to Man City is confirmed, calling his strike ‘not necessary’ and telling him ‘he didn’t hit the heights he expected’

Matheus Nunes has promised to inject more energy into Manchester City’s midfield after sealing a £53 million move from Wolves.

The Portugal international went on strike earlier this week in a bid to force a move to the Treble winners, angering Wolves boss Gary O’Neil and the club – who released a scathing statement after confirming his move to City .

City were prepared to back out of the deal when the two clubs negotiated a fee, but secured Nunes before the transfer deadline – and in time to include him in Saturday’s squad to face Fulham.

The 25-year-old will have to wait to meet Pep Guardiola, who remains in Barcelona to recover from back surgery.

“I’m very energetic, I run a lot,” Nunes said. “The Premier League is very intense and fast in attack and counter-attack. That way it suits me. City also plays differently: they control the ball and the game. It’s good for me to get used to that.

“The manager has probably been the best in the world for years. I’m going to learn so much from him – I can only see myself improving with him and with all the teammates. It is a top quality team. This will be a very good trip.’

Wolves sporting director Matt Hobbs criticized Nunes for his conduct as he attempted to force a move to the Treble winners.

“I was disappointed with how it ended. It wasn’t necessarily the position Matheus took, but we ended up with a good solution for everyone,” said Hobbs.

“Matheus is a hugely talented player but he has to admit he didn’t reach the heights he expected last season, but it was a tough season for the team so maybe he wasn’t allowed to do that.

“We have lost a player with a lot of potential and a lot of skill, but the situation has led us to use a greater number of players to improve the squad and ensure competition in the group. The players here want competition in training, so although we lost a good player, overall we have become more competitive and better.’

Guardiola was effusive in his praise for Nunes following a Champions League match in which City beat Sporting 5-0 a few seasons ago. The Catalan described him as ‘one of the best in the world’ and has followed his progress ever since.

After a year at Wolves, the two are now working together. “The game we played against City was not very good as we lost 5-0,” added Nunes.

‘I didn’t see his interview, I didn’t find out until the next day when we were having breakfast. Of course it felt really good to hear something like that from a coach like him. I tried not to think about it because I would have been over the moon and sometimes people get lost with comments like that.

“It was an easy decision. When I first found out they were interested in me, I didn’t have to think twice. I want to try and make history and put my name in the club.’

Guardiola called ex-Sporting Lisbon midfielder ‘one of the best players in the world’ in 2022