Steve Bruce’s Newcastle United have failed with a £10 million deal for Sporting Lisbon ace Matheus Nunes, according to O Jogo.
With Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Aston Villa still fresh in the memory, midfield reinforcements cannot come soon enough for a Magpies side who, if they are not careful, could soon have Fulham and West Brom snapping at their heels.
Newcastle have been scouring the market for a box-to-box dynamo since being turned down by Boubakary Soumare 12 months ago.
After missing out on AC Milan’s Soualiho Meite, there is now a new – albeit little-known – name in the frame.
O Jogo believe that Newcastle have made an offer for Nunes; the 22-year-old Brazilian who joined Sporting from Estoril in January 2019.
The Magpies wanted to take Nunes on loan with an obligation-to-buy clause set at £10 million, which would be triggered at the end of the season. Sporting president Federico Varandas is not an easy man to deal with however and Newcastle’s bid was well short of his expectations.
Whether the Premier League strugglers return with a new offer remains to be seen.
Nunes has played in every one of Sporting’s 14 league games this season, impressing for a team flying high at the top of the table under Ruben Amorim.
The youngster also came off the bench as Los Leones won the Taca de Liga during Saturday’s 1-0 final victory over Braga.
“I never imagined, when I arrived at Sporting, to be experiencing this. I am very happy, I hope to win many titles for Sporting,” Nunes told TVI24 as the sweet smell of champagne filled the air.
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