Chelsea are interested in completing the signing of Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Matheus Nunes, who has somewhat failed to assert himself since arriving at Molineux in a £38m deal last summer.
These rumours stem from recent claims made by prominent Chelsea writer Simon Phillips, who stated that the Blues are looking to make a major investment into the midfield ranks in 2023, and have distinguished Nunes as an ace to deploy into the ranks.
Liverpool have been touted as potential suitors for the Portuguese maestro, with the Telegraph stating that Reds manager Jurgen Klopp has decided to return with a £44m bid in the summer after intense speculation last year.
However, should Chelsea boss Graham Potter instigate a move, then Chelsea could unleash a fresh robust presence to spearhead the charge under the new ownership of Todd Boehly, who is pulling no punches in his pursuit of success at Stamford Bridge.
Gallagher upgrade
While it’s true that Nunes has failed to clinch the prolific vein that he would’ve desired following his summer move from Sporting Lisbon, he has still demonstrated his worth with steady displays in Wolverhampton as he acclimatises to the relentless, high-octane pace of the Premier League.
He has made 19 appearances for the Old Gold, registering an assist and failing to find the back of the net. But, while the desire for an increase in his cutting-edge productivity will be prevalent across the fanbase, it’s hardly concerning following his “unbelievable” campaign for Sporting last year, as remarked by former teammate Goncalo Santos, where he scored four goals and five assists from his deep-lying role.
However, as per FBref, the 11-cap star ranks within the top 5% for progressive passes received, the top 16% of touches in the attacking penalty area and the top 24% for dribbles completed across Europe’s top five leagues – indicating that when the cohesion flows, perhaps in a team with a greater onus on attacking intent, he will blossom into one of the Premier League’s highlight maestros.
However, with 0.9 key passes per match, an assured passing accuracy of 82%, and a return of 1.2 shots per match, the cogs are in place for greener pastures soon.
With that in mind, he could well be a stellar upgrade on Chelsea’s 22-year-old midfielder Conor Gallagher, who has only scored one goal and registered just the one assist for the Blues from 22 appearances.
That follows a breakthrough campaign on loan at fellow Premier League outfit Crystal Palace last season where he truly burst onto the scene, starring as he scored eight goals from 33 starts in the division.
[freshpress-quiz
Gallagher has been underwhelming this term after high hopes regarding his seasonal prospects with the club, recording an average rating 6.71 and averaging 0.6 shots and 0.7 key passes per outing prior to their meeting with Fulham last night, statistics below that of Wolves’ Nunes.
Esteemed Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola once hailed the 24-year-old as “one of the best” midfielders around, and should he forge a move to west London, plying his trade for a Chelsea outfit that are searching for ascension to the very top of the game, he could just be the signing that takes Potter’s men to next level.
