According to O Jogo, Newcastle will make another attempt to sign Matheus Nunes from Sporting Lisbon this summer, after a failed January swoop.
The Magpies submitted an offer to take the 22-year-old on loan in January, with an obligation to buy him for £10 million in the summer.
However, this was rejected by the Portuguese giants.
O Jogo add that Nunes wants to stay with Sporting Lisbon.
However, he is keen to break into Fernando Santos’ Portugal squad, and feels he may have to move clubs in order for that to happen.
O Jogo also mention that Newcastle have ‘promised’ to come back in for the Rio de Janeiro-born maestro, who is eligible to play for Portugal.
In our view, it’s encouraging that the Magpies are still keen on Nunes, as it shows they are convinced by their targets and don’t feel the need to look elsewhere.
So, seeing as the midfielder is relatively unknown in England, what type of player is he?
Well, Sporting Lisbon’s former Under-23 manager, Alexandre Santos, had some words of praise for the Newcastle target having once worked with him in the Under-23 set-up.
Santo, who now manages Alverca, told Noticias ao Minuto that Nunes offers “maturity” and “security” while also saying: “He is a young player, but he already has a great sense of positioning and what he has to do on the pitch.”
By all accounts, it seems as if Steve Bruce has his eyes on a very talented midfielder.
This transfer saga certainly seems worth keeping an eye on when the summer window comes around.
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