Pep Guardiola desires Matheus Nunes to transform a right-back for Manchester Town after announcing he’s “no longer artful sufficient” to play the midfield position he has carried out all through his occupation.
The 26-year-old, who signed for Town from Wolves in August 2023 in a £53 million ($70m) deal as an alternative for Ilkay Gündogan, has made 62 appearances for the reigning Premier League champions since arriving on the Etihad, with nearly all of his outings in midfield.
However with Guardiola nonetheless in search of a competent alternative at right-back for Kyle Walker, who left Town in a mortgage transfer to AC Milan in January, Portugal midfielder Nunes has been deployed at full-back.
After Nunes performed at right-back in Sunday’s 0-0 draw in opposition to Manchester United at Outdated Trafford, Guardiola made the startling declare that the participant’s shortcomings in midfield imply he now faces a long term as a defender.
Matheus Nunes performed right-back in opposition to Manchester United on Sunday. Copa/Getty Photographs
“He [Nunes] can turn out to be a just right right-back for his physicality,” Guardiola instructed newshounds at Outdated Trafford. “I believe he is not a participant to play in midfield as a result of he is not artful sufficient, within the composure, however he has fantastic talents and he is finding out so much.
“The massive mistake of full-backs is you probably have the pass to the some distance publish the place you’re, they’re all the time slumbering.
“However he defended actually neatly two or 3 crosses, like when Bruno [Fernandes] put it to the some distance publish for [Patrick] Dorgu.
“He has the eye and the physicality to do it, so he can play in that place and assist us so much.”
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Town signed defenders Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis all through the January switch, however Nunes has began forward of each in fresh weeks.
Regardless of being inspired via his defensive talents, on the other hand, Guardiola admits he’s shocked that the participant has made the transition from midfielder to full-back.
“Whilst you get started the season, when you mentioned ‘Matheus will play right-back’ you could possibly ask what I am speaking about,” Guardiola mentioned.
“However it’s what it’s. The again 4 was once very good [against United]. Rúben [Dias] was once fantastic. So we construct from that.”
