One player who polarised opinion last season for Manchester City was Matheus Nunes. The Portuguese international struggled to make an impact for the champions last season after arriving at the club from Wolverhampton Wanderers last summer. But can the Portuguese international take his game to another level this season? That’s an interesting topic to consider as the 24/25 season is only a few weeks away.
There is no doubt that the debut season of Matheus Nunes was a disappointing one. The midfielder couldn’t force his way into Pep Guardiola’s starting lineup and spent the majority of the season on the periphery. All told he only made 29 appearances for Manchester City last season. It was a tough first season at the Etihad for Nunes. Despite this, he did make Portugal’s squad for this summer’s European Championships. But once again he was on the periphery of the Portuguese squad. Nunes only made two substitute appearances at the tournament. That fact perfectly encapsulated the 23/24 season of Matheus Nunes.
So the challenge is there for Nunes to raise his game next season. The question is can he rise to that challenge? He has the talent to make it at Manchester City. However, there is no easy path into Pep Guardiola’s starting lineup for Nunes. Players such as Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic currently play the role that Nunes prefers to play. It could be a case of Nunes getting his head down and doing the work but would that be enough for him to find a consistent role at Manchester City? Even that may not be enough for him to force his way into Pep Guardiola’s starting eleven.
It is hard to see how Matheus Nunes can force his way into a regular role for the world champions. He has the talent but there is a host of established stars in his way. Perhaps he could’ve returned earlier from his holidays to make a good impression with Pep Guardiola this summer. There is no doubt that Nunes is entitled to his well-earned break. But when he returns to Manchester City it will be a tough task for him to force his way into Pep Guardiola’s preferred lineup.
Matheus Nunes could take his game to another level next season. But it does appear that he may lack the opportunities at the world champions to do so. It could be another frustrating season for the Portuguese international if he can’t play himself into the starting lineup at Manchester City. But if he can take his game to another level next season he will become a valuable weapon for Pep Guardiola. That’s the challenge for Matheus Nunes when he finally returns to Manchester City this summer.
Maybe he could “take his game to another level”
You should’ve mentioned that 🤣