Wolves boss Gary O’Neil says he isn’t aware of a second offer from Manchester City for Matheus Nunes and has confirmed the midfielder has decided to stay away from training because of the potential move. Nunes is valued at around £60m by Wolves who turned down £47m from City last week. The midfielder’s decision to stay away from training appears to have complicated the issue but O’Neil was clear when he spoke to the media after the 5-0 win at home to Blackpool in the Carabao Cup. Asked for the latest on the situation,
Gary O’Neil said: “He is not with the group at the moment. His choice. After the bid from Manchester City, he decided it was best for him to not be with the group. So, club policy and how we deal with things like that is obviously set in place and as far as I am aware there has been no improved bid. Matheus Nunes is still our player, we have a long contract still with him and, at this moment in time, I fully expect him to be here come September 2. So, the next few days will be key, of course conversations will take place that will be private between me and Matheus but I am sure the situation will be resolved.”
Asked if Nunes should have stayed away from training,
Gary O’Neil said: “No, you never do but players do. You see it all over the country. I have seen it when I was playing, I have seen it probably in recent transfer windows. I can think of one maybe in January, a big one where similar things happened. It won’t change how the club deals with any bids or any situations. So, no he definitely didn’t and there is a way to deal with these things but I will keep most of my thoughts private for when I speak with Matheus.”
The manager was careful to be balanced in his views on the 25-year-old Portugal international,
Gary O’Neil saying: “It is hard without speaking to him. I will speak to him at some point. There will be advisors and representatives, there are a lot of things that go on. It is too simplistic to just think, ‘he has done this, we think that’. There is a lot involved in situations like this so for me to try and answer it at a press conference without Matheus for me to speak to about it and understand exactly where everything is, is probably unfair. So, I will save my opinions until I have spoken to him and cleared everything up and what I think of the situation.”
