West Ham table massive bid to sign Sporting CP midfielder Matheus Nunes
West Ham have tabled a formal bid worth a total of £29.5million to sign Sporting CP midfielder Matheus Nunes, according to Record
The Portuguese newspaper reported via their print edition on Friday (12 August, page eight) that the Irons have offered £25.3million up front and another £4.2million in add-ons.
However, it is understood that Sporting aren’t happy with West Ham’s bid as they value the 23-year-old Portugal international at £42.2million.
Much-needed depth
West Ham tried and failed to sign Belgium midfielder Amadou Onana before he joined Everton from Lille so it makes sense for David Moyes to continue busting a gut to add to his central options.
Nunes, like Onana, is a central player who can operate as a defensive midfielder.
He’s a bit older than the 20-year-old Everton signing as he’ll turn 24 later this month but that means he’s got that extra bit of experience that could come in handy for the Irons.
Nunes has played 100 times in all competitions for Sporting, winning the 2020/21 Portuguese league title with the Lisbon club and he also has experience of playing in the Champions League and Europa League.
Moyes’ midfield options are fairly light as it stands even though Flynn Downes has joined from Swansea this summer.
Mark Noble retired at the end of last season while the option to sign Alex Kral permanently wasn’t triggered at the end of his loan.
Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek are of course still on the books in East London and are Moyes’ trusted midfield duo but it’s hard to ignore that the latter’s form has dropped in the last year or so.
Nunes could be a very good replacement for Soucek or at least provide some stiff competition for the Czech international.
It’ll be expensive but the best players don’t come cheaply.