Manchester City are reportedly prepared to abandon their efforts to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Matheus Nunes in this summer's transfer window.
The 24-year-old joined the Black Country outfit from Sporting Lisbon in the summer of 2022, since making 41 appearances for Wolves, scoring one goal during that spell.
Nunes made his debut for the Portugal national side in September 2021 and has featured 11 times overall for the country in which his football career commenced.
The midfielder played 34 matches in the Premier League last term - with 30 of those being from the start - scoring one goal and providing a single assist for teammates during 2022-23.
Despite modest statistics, Manchester City hold an interest in Nunes, however, according to The Independent, the Citizens are ready to walk away from a potential deal with Wolves.
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The report claims that the Premier League champions will abandon a deal for the midfielder if they feel that the transfer fee that Wolves are demanding is too high.
It is understood that Man City made an initial bid of £47m for Nunes earlier this month, with Pep Guardiola looking to bolster his engine-room ranks before the end of the window.
A separate report suggests that Wolves are looking to pocket in excess of £60m for the Portuguese - an asking price significantly higher than City's first bid for the player.
Guardiola's men have turned their attention to the capture of Nunes after a potential move for West Ham United's Lucas Paqueta evaporated due to factors outside of the control of the English champions.
It is believed that Man City and the Hammers were close to agreeing an £80m deal for the Brazilian, however the Citizens decided to distance themselves from the player who is currently being investigated over alleged betting breaches.
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With Kevin De Bruyne suffering a recurrence of his hamstring strain in City's Premier League opener against Burnley on August 11, Guardiola is hoping to bring in some midfield reinforcements.
The Belgium international is set to be sidelined for around four months at the start of this 2023-24 campaign, meaning that the champions will be without their top playmaker last term.
Man City recently announced the signing of fellow Belgian Jeremy Doku from Rennes, with the Citizens viewing the youngster as a replacement for the departed Riyad Mahrez.
Guardiola's charges will be looking to make it nine points out of nine at the start of their title defence when they travel to Bramall Lane to face newly-promoted Sheffield United on Sunday afternoon.
Carter White
