Leeds United wanted Matheus Nunes and registered their interest in the Sporting star before being told to cough up €50million.
The Whites needed to retool their midfield this summer – and that was even before Kalvin Phillips left the club for a move to Manchester City.
Phillips leaving has brought in huge money and Leeds have already signed Tyler Adams and Marc Roca to form a new midfield partnership.
Add in the signing of young talent Darko Gyabi – alongside Lewis Bate – and Leeds seem set in midfield for a little while yet.
Yet there are now reports suggesting that Leeds have asked about a big addition to their midfield ranks in Nunes.
Leeds United wanted Matheus Nunes
Portuguese newspaper Record report that Leeds recently asked about signing Nunes.
Sporting gave them the answer they have given everybody; Nunes will cost at least €50million (£42million).
Leeds surely aren’t in the market for paying that kind of cash and we therefore don’t really expect to see Nunes at Elland Road any time soon.
Still, Nunes is a name to keep an eye on going forward, especially having attracted so much interest of late.
Liverpool have been heavily linked with Nunes of late but The Athletic’s James Pearce described those rumours as ‘nonsense’.
Nunes also plans to stay at Sporting for one more year, effectively teeing up something of a scramble for his signature next summer.
Pep Guardiola has raved about Nunes, calling him one of the top players in the world earlier this year.
The Brazil-born Portugal international has emerged as one of the finest box-to-box midfielders around and looks primed for a big move away from Sporting.
Nunes, 23, has so much energy and pace through midfield, but that box-to-box role at Leeds may now be taken by Adams.
Many other Premier League clubs are also keen on Nunes, so Leeds may well end up facing him in the Premier League down the line.
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