In a recent print edition, Correio da Manhã offered an update on Everton‘s pursuit of Sporting CP midfielder Matheus Nunes this summer. It has been revealed that the Toffees’ move for the Brazilian talent is pending the approval of Rafael Benitez, who was appointed as the new Everton boss recently (transcripted and translated by Sport Witness).
Nunes’ Rapid Rise In Portuguese Football
The 22-year-old impressed a lot of people with his performances for Sporting last season when he managed to inspire them to win the Liga NOS title. Nunes appeared in 39 matches for the Portuguese giants in the previous campaign, banging in three goals and grabbing three assists in various competitions.
The Brazilian sensation caught the eye at times over the past 12 months as he averaged 0.6 tackles, 0.5 shots and 1.2 dribbles per 90 minutes in the Portuguese top tier. He distributed possession relatively well from midfield based on his pass success rate of 84.5% in league football (stats via whoscored).
Nunes has shown some signs of encouragement with his performances at the heart of the Sporting midfield, so Everton would do well to snap him up during this summer transfer window. He has the potential to become a class act in his position someday which makes him a good option for the Toffees to consider recruiting in this off-season.
Is Nunes The Right Fit For The Toffees?
Nunes is a moderately-paced midfielder who can make a few clever runs with the ball in the opposition half. He is full of energy and running at the centre of the park, and even added some goals and assists to his game last season. Nunes is primarily a box to box midfielder but is versatile enough to feature as a defensive midfielder or play in the number ten position if needed.
The Brazilian youngster is undeniably a player on the rise, so Rafael Benitez can expect him to get better with each season if he decides to secure the services of the talented midfielder during this summer transfer period. Nunes will enhance Everton’s squad depth considerably ahead of the new season and could offer some serious competition for Allan, Andre Gomes, Tom Davies, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Abdoulaye Doucoure for a place in Benitez’s starting XI.
At 22, Nunes has still got a lot of room to grow into a top talent. All in all, the Sporting midfielder will be a decent fit for the Merseyside outfit in the long run as his ceiling is quite high which means that he could have an excellent resale value in the future.
