Manchester City to sell Matheus Nunes and Kalvin Phillips this summer; Pep Guardiola wants to replace them with Bruno Guimaraes

Manchester City are prepared to listen to offers for Matheus Nunes, per HITC, the Portugal international they acquired from Wolverhampton Wanderers for £53 million last summer. This move comes as clubs from Saudi Arabia express interest in the midfielder.

Nunes, who was signed on the final day of the 2023 summer transfer window, has struggled to establish himself in Pep Guardiola’s squad. Despite his hefty price tag, the former Sporting Lisbon and Wolves talent has made only seven Premier League starts and has yet to score a goal for the Cityzens.

Sources close to the club reveal that Manchester City may now be willing to offload Nunes. His representatives, including the well-known agent Jorge Mendes, are currently exploring options for his future. Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona have shown interest in Nunes in the past, but the most immediate interest seems to be coming from Saudi Arabian clubs.

Nunes’ inability to break into the first team regularly can be attributed to the fierce competition in Manchester City’s midfield. With players like Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, and Phil Foden consistently performing at high levels, Nunes found it challenging to secure a spot in Guardiola’s starting lineup.

City are also looking to offload another midfielder, Kalvin Phillips. Phillips, another big-money signing, has similarly failed to live up to expectations, prompting the English champions to consider his future as well.

Manchester City to bolster their midfield with the signing of Bruno Guimaraes

Meanwhile, Guardiola is keen on strengthening his midfield having initially set his sights on West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta, but the move fell through due to an investigation into Paqueta’s alleged betting rule violations. These issues have once more resurfaced as charges could be announced shortly.

With Paqueta seemingly out of the picture, Manchester City might turn their attention to Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimaraes. The Brazilian midfielder has a £100 million release clause in his contract, which is valid until June 30. Guimaraes has been a standout performer for Newcastle, and several top European clubs are contemplating triggering his release clause.