Article by Daniel Grigore – published Tuesday, April 08, 2025, 15:07 / Updated Tuesday, April 08, 2025 15:07
Pep Guardiola, 54, Manchester City's manager, says about Matheus Nunes, the midfielder transferred for 62 million euros, that he is not … “smart enough” to play in the middle in his team.
3 years ago, after Manchester City's crushing victory against Sporting CP, 5-0, Pep Guardiola described Matheus Nunes as “one of the best players in the world.” The Portuguese midfielder evolved at Sporting at that time, in the summer of 2022, passing the Premier League at Wolverhampton.
In 2023, Guardiola convinced her bosses to pay 62 million euros to bring Nunes to Etihad. Central midfielder originally, Nunes was used largely this season, especially after Kyle Walker's departure, as a right defender.
Pep Guardiola, a curious statement about his own player: “It is not smart enough to play in the middle”
This is the position that Guardiola sees evolving in the future too, stating that the Portuguese would not be smart and calm enough for the role of midfielder!
“He can become a right right defender because of his physical. I think he is not a player for the middle, because It is not smart enough, it has no calm“Guardiola said after the white draw with Manchester United.
“Learn a lot. The lateral defenders are wrong when they focus on the second bar and they” sleep “, but he rejected two or three centrals launched by Bruno Fernandes for [Patrick] Dorgu. He has the physique to handle it, he can play there and he has already helped us.
When I started the season, if you told me that we would play with Matheus right defender and Nico O'Reilly left defender, I would have asked you: “What are you talking about?” But this season is how it is, ”added Guardiola about footballer Lusitan, according to Abola.P.
Matheus Nunes, in action // Photo: Guliver/Gettyimages
