James Pearce has said that Matheus Nunes could be ‘an option’ for Liverpool in the transfer market this summer.
Football Insider reported in recent days that the Reds are in pole position to secure the Wolves midfielder, who had also been a target at Anfield when he was at Sporting Lisbon last year prior to his move to Molineux (Irish Mirror).
The Merseysiders are in the market for midfield additions during the off-season, with links to Jude Bellingham, Mason Mount and many others in that position, and the 11-cap Portugal international could also be a prime target.
When asked in a mailbag for The Athletic about Liverpool’s reported interest in Nunes, Pearce replied: “He’s highly regarded by the club and he’s an option for this summer”. The journalist added that “at the age of 24, they believe he’s got real potential”.
In some ways, the Wolves midfielder might seem like a peculiar target for Liverpool.
He’s not prolific in terms of goalscoring, having failed to find the net in 29 appearances so far at Molineux, while he’s only supplied one assist for his current club (Transfermarkt).
Figures from FBref highlight other statistical shortcomings to his game. Among midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues over the past 12 months, he ranks in the 28th percentile or lower for pass completion, passes attempted, blocks and interceptions.
However, despite the numbers not painting a glorious picture, Nunes has some ringing endorsements on his CV.
After Manchester City faced his Sporting side in the Champions League last year, Pep Guardiola hailed the 24-year-old as ‘one of the best players in the world today’ (One Football).
Meanwhile, his one-time youth team coach Ruben Franco proclaimed that the midfielder always had ‘something special’ about him (The Guardian).
Therefore, perhaps the statistics about Nunes don’t tell the whole story, with some coaches who’ve witnessed him firsthand evidently awestruck by his abilities.
Pearce’s point about Liverpool believing he has ‘real potential’ is also pertinent, with a previous report in The Athletic indicating that central midfielders are in their prime at 25, the age that the Portuguese dynamo reaches in August.
He might not seem like the most spellbinding transfer target, but if the Reds’ recruitment team see something they like in him, he ought not to be dismissed.