Manchester City are close to agreeing a new three-year contract with their £53m Portugal international, and the timing says as much about the club as it does about the player.
| Status | Rumour |
|---|---|
| Player | Matheus Nunes, 28, right-back or midfielder |
| Current deal | One year left at the end of this season |
| New deal | Three years, a 12-month extension |
| Wages | Rise of at least £20,000 a week, to £150,000 basic |
| Interest | Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho |
According to the Manchester Evening News, City are in talks over a fresh deal for Matheus Nunes, the versatile 28-year-old who can play at right-back or in midfield. His current contract will have only one year left on it when this season ends.
That is the point at which clubs start to worry, and City have reason to. Nunes has caught the eye of Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho, and the Etihad hierarchy do not want to lose him.
What is in Matheus Nunes’ new Man City contract?
The new deal would run for three years and replace his existing one, which in effect hands City an extra 12 months on top of what they already have.
It comes with a pay rise too. Nunes would earn at least £20,000 a week more than he does now, taking his basic wage to £150,000 a week before bonuses.
That is a serious commitment to a player who arrived from Wolves three years ago as a £53m midfielder and spent his first spell at the club struggling to make an impact in his natural position.
From misfit midfielder to first-choice right-back
The reinvention is what changed everything. Nunes has been turned into a full-back and has now made more than 100 appearances for City since his move from Molineux in 2023.
Injuries have disrupted the early part of his season, but he remains the first-choice right-back. Even with Maresca keen on a reunion with Chelsea’s Malo Gusto, tying down the man already in the shirt makes plenty of sense.
He can still drop into midfield when needed, and that flexibility matters for a squad that has been short of bodies at the back in recent weeks.
Why City see this deal as a dressing-room statement
The bigger picture is hard to ignore. City have been found guilty of breaking Premier League financial rules, which the club strongly deny, and their appeal against the verdict is still to be decided. A heavy points deduction could follow if it fails, and that could even see them relegated.
Club insiders insist the players are happy and want to stay despite that uncertainty. City see Nunes’ willingness to commit as a sign that the dressing room is still behind the club.
Is a new Nunes deal the right call for Man City?
We think it is. A £150,000-a-week basic wage is not small change, but Nunes is 28, he is first choice, and he gives Enzo Maresca two positions for the price of one.
Letting him run down to his final year with Mourinho watching would have been asking for trouble. Getting the extension done now keeps his value high, takes Madrid out of the picture and sends a message that City’s squad is not looking for the exit, whatever happens with the appeal.
