Despite the ‘clause’ from Liverpool, Jürgen Klopp will not be sorry he transfer Pep Guardiola.

A prominent player for Manchester City had previously seemed destined for a transfer to Liverpool, and his start to life at the Etihad Stadium under Pep Guardiola may cause cause for concern.

Liverpool struggled miserably in the 2022/23 season, falling out of the top four after narrowly missing the championship the year before. A prominent rationale provided by supporters was the club’s inability to acquire a reliable, exceptional midfielder.

Darwin Nez, a striker, constituted the majority of the Reds’ expenditures during the preceding summer. Initially acquired for $82 million (£65 million/€75 million), his potential value — a club-record $109 million (£87 million/€100 million) — is contingent upon the agreed-upon addenda. However, that does not mean the club did not contemplate strengthening its midfield well in advance of the panic signing of Arthur on the final day of the transfer window.

Liverpool was considering Sporting’s Matheus Nunes, but ultimately decided not to compete with Wolves for his signature. This may have been in the expectation that the club could revisit the player a year later, following a ‘audition’ in the Premier League that was anticipated to be successful. In fact, The Telegraph reported that the player’s contract contained a provision intended to facilitate a transfer to Anfield at the conclusion of the current campaign.
Nevertheless, that stipulation was eliminated for Wolves in the spring, subsequent to Liverpool’s declaration of intent to “walk away” from the agreement. This occurred during Nunes’s underwhelming debut season at Molineux, during which he attempted to conquer a variety of roles but failed to do so and was guided by three different coaches.

Notwithstanding this, the Portuguese did secure a significant transfer: in fact, one of the most substantial transfers of any kind, as he paid $67 million (£53 million/€61 million) to join Manchester City. Certain individuals were taken aback by the late transfer, and it has been confirmed that Nunes’s playing time has been restricted thus far.
Thus far, he has accumulated more playing time (255 minutes) and started three games more in the Champions League group stage compared to the Premier League (two games and 199 minutes), aided by City’s overwhelming victory over Swiss side Young Boys and Serbian club Red Star Belgrade. On his second start of the league, which coincided with his return to former club Wolves, he was substituted at halftime as City suffered an unexpected 2-1 loss. Three of the subsequent five games have seen him come into play as an unused substitute, suggesting that this may have set him back somewhat.

It is true that City supporters would argue that the season is still in its infancy and remind us that numerous players acquired by Pep Guardiola have only truly flourished in their second campaign. However, what concerns Nunes is that he is still behind the team despite Kevin De Bruyne’s absence; De Bruyne is expected to return from a hamstring injury in February or January and will occupy a midfield position almost every week once he returns. Additionally, it is noteworthy to mention that Nunes was a secondary acquisition for City, who initially considered West Ham’s Lucas Paquetá but withdrew their interest after discovering a wagering investigation (as reported by Sky Sports).

It is improbable that Liverpool will come to regret not acquiring Nunes, given the overall solid performance of the four midfielders it did acquire this summer as part of a long-overdue overhaul. However, the player may later regret his choice to transfer to the Etihad, given the likelihood that other exceptional suitors were also considering offers.