WOLVES ARE SET to break their transfer record to land Portugal midfielder Matheus Nunes from Sporting Lisbon.
Personal terms are still to be finalised with the 23-year-old but the PA news agency understands Wolves are optimistic a deal can be completed quickly after they agreed to pay Sporting an initial €45 million (£38m), with a further €5 million euros (£4.2m) in potential add-ons.
That eclipses the £35m Wolves paid Porto for Fabio Silva – now on loan at Anderlecht – in 2020.
The Brazil-born Nunes turned down an opportunity to play for his homeland and last year made his debut for Portugal. He has won eight caps and scored one goal for the country.
Nunes, who has attracted the attention of several leading clubs and had been linked with Manchester City and Liverpool, would be Bruno Lage’s third signing of the summer.
Wolves have already completed deals for Portugal forward Goncalo Guedes, who joined from Valencia, and Republic of Ireland defender Nathan Collins, who signed from Burnley.
However, it has been a frustrating start to the new campaign, with an opening-day defeat to Leeds followed by a goalless draw with Fulham. A trip to Tottenham is up next on Saturday.
Last week, Lage indicated he wanted to sign “three or four more players” before the end of the current transfer window.
“The words are patience and trust,” he said on Friday. “Patience because we still have 20 days to the end of the transfer window.
“And trust in our work. Judge the work we are doing at the beginning of this season at the end of this transfer window.
“Some players go, some players are coming. I have big trust in the work we are doing and that we are going to convince three or four more players to come and play for Wolves.”
This is the Ulster managements first real test. Are they setting a dangerous precedent? Was the Glasgow collision with Ludik equally citeable?
No.
Problem is, it is unclear whether there was intent or not and if management allow opposition coaches to regularly cite Ulster players out of games without response from Ulster management then the task of keeping a consistent winning team together becomes all the more difficult.
Sure isn’t that what Locks are for? Man’s just doing his job…
It looks like he started low Bennett tried to get to ground, seems a bit harsh to officiate what’s going on in a maul especially when it clapses
Is there a video of the incident?
Type Alan O’Connor onto YouTube and it comes up. Hard to see but looks like he chocked him out.
*choked
There has to be another camera angle. What was shown on Sky was unclear. Panel must have had access to other angles. If not the decision is harsh.