Premier League club avoid FFP punishment via Manchester City transfer decision

Manchester City’s signing of former Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Matheus Nunes enabled the Molineux side to avoid an FFP punishment, a report has revealed.

The Portuguese central midfielder made the switch to the Etihad Stadium on transfer deadline day, as Manchester City looked for further recruitment in central areas following the long-term absence sustained by Kevin De Bruyne.

The Belgium international captain was sidelined following a hamstring injury in the opening Premier League contest against Burnley in August, and underwent surgery which is likely to keep him away from competitive action until early 2024.

Matheus Nunes arrived following a period of striking to force through an exit from Wolves, with the player himself admitting that the opportunity to join Manchester City was one that was impossible to reject.

Now, in a fascinating development, it is revealed that Wolves themselves may have been siding with the idea of selling Matheus Nunes during the summer for financial reasons, despite the importance of the player to their system.

That is according to the information of The Telegraph’s John Percy, who reports that Wolves are set to avoid future punishment by the Premier League after a sale of players during the recent summer transfer window amounted to around £140 million.

It is revealed that if Wolves had failed to raise around £90 million during the window, the Molineux club could have been ‘in serious trouble’ in 2024. The £53 million sale of Matheus Nunes to Manchester City enabled Wolves to comfortably exceed the target.

Since joining Manchester City from Wolverhampton Wanderers in late August, Matheus Nunes has amassed a total of 10 appearances under Pep Guardiola, registering a single assist across his 547 minutes of on-field action.

With the fixture list intensifying over the course of the coming months, as Manchester City embark on contests across the Premier League, Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, and FA Cup, Nunes’ importance to the side will only increase with time.

At present, Nunes continues to battle for a place in Pep Guardiola’s first-team starting line-up with the likes of Bernardo Silva, Mateo Kovacic, and Phil Foden – all of whom operate in advanced midfield roles for the Catalan coach.