Matheus Nunes is officially no longer a Wolves player.
The midfielder has joined Manchester City in a £53 million deal, after he went on strike at the weekend.
Nunes did not train with Wolves from Sunday onwards as he sought to leave Molineux.
City turned their attention to the Portuguese after walking away from a deal for West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta.
Nunes’ behaviour in the last days has angered many fans. Some pundits have also had a pop at him.
Now, with the move confirmed, sporting director Matt Hobbs has had his say…
Matt Hobbs reacts to Matheus Nunes leaving Wolves
Hobbs has made it pretty clear he is not entirely impressed with Nunes’ conduct in the last few days
But the sporting director mainly appears to be disappointed at losing a player with such high potential. But he’s also fairly pleased about how the squad is now shaping up as a result of Nunes’ sale.
He said (via Wolves official): “I was disappointed with how it ended, it wasn’t necessary the stance Matheus took, but we ended with a good resolution for everyone. Matheus is a hugely talented player but would admit that last season he didn’t hit the heights he expected, but it was a tough season for the team, so maybe he wasn’t allowed to do that.
“We’ve lost a player with a lot of potential, a lot of ability, but the situation has led to us bringing a greater number of players in to improve the squad and provide competition in the group. The players here want competition in training, so while we’ve lost a good player, it’s made us a more competitive and better squad overall.”
Matheus Nunes shares reasons for leaving Wolves and join Man City
Wolves’ official website does not feature any quotes from Nunes, which is perhaps to be expected.
But City have obviously interviewed their latest recruit, and Nunes has shared some of the reasons he made the move.
He says (via mancity.com): “There’s a lot of factors [for signing], being in the Champions of course, I mean, it’s amazing for me to even think to come here.
“The coach as well. I mean it’s a huge club, it has a lot of the best you can get, the best opportunities, the best structure.
“So I think there’s a lot of factors that influenced my decision to come here.”
Nunes states that he ‘didn’t think twice’ about pushing for the move upon hearing of City’s interest.