Wolves last night officially announced the signing of Matheus Nunes.
The club agreed a £42 million fee with Sporting CP earlier this week, and personal terms were also sorted quickly.
The player had been having his medical on Wednesday, and fans had been patiently for official confirmation of the deal. And it finally came just before midnight.
It is a major coup for Wolves, who have been pursuing Nunes for some time.
The 23-year-old has been one of the most sought-after midfielders in Europe this summer, and Wolves have done absolutely brilliantly to get him despite not being able to offer European football.
O Jogo bring an interesting report about how Wolves came to find a breakthrough.
The Portuguese outlet claim Wolves were always there for Nunes this summer.
But the club was encouraged to push hard for the star after seeing his unbelievable goal against Rio Ave. Nunes picked the ball up some 25 yards from goal and unleashed an absolute rocket of a shot into the top corner.
Prior to that, Wolves had sent emissaries to Portugal, and had also watched him throughout pre-season.
O Jogo also add that interest from other clubs, like West Ham United, accelerated the pursuit.
And the publication bring some quotes from Nunes’ mother Cátia, who has actually been taken a little by surprise at her son’s transfer.
She is quoted as saying: “I wasn’t prepared for such a quick change and Matheus didn’t expect to leave now either, but I know he will shine.”
Wolves clearly made a huge push to sign Matheus Nunes
It is interesting to read that Nunes’ mother wasn’t expecting him to be going anywhere. And that the player himself also didn’t expect to leave Sporting.
He was seemingly happy there, so it has clearly taken a big effort from Wolves to sign him.
It was reported that Bruno Lage played a key role in this transfer, and it would be fascinating to know exactly how he sold the move to the player. Especially since Wolves are not in the Champions League, Europa League or even the Europa Conference League.
Hopefully, Nunes is now able to take Wolves to the next level. By many accounts, it’s very likely he will do just that.