"Had a good look at him" - Graeme Bailey on Wolves midfielder
Journalist Graeme Bailey has confirmed that Liverpool were keeping a close eye on midfielder Matheus Nunes.
The 23-year-old has left Sporting Lisbon and joined Wolverhampton Wanderers for a transfer fee of £42 million this month.
However, things could have panned out very differently for Nunes. Bailey has made it clear that Liverpool were interested in the Portugal international.
As quoted by HITC, he told the Talking Transfers Podcast the following: “At this point Nunes is coming in. It’s an interesting way in which it has panned out.
"They tried back in June and the player wasn’t keen, he had Liverpool and (Manchester) City who had a good look at him. He turned down West Ham, and he’s a very good player this boy.
"He’s a real top-drawer player, and it’s a club-record deal at £42 million."
Anfield Watch Verdict
Nunes is a talented player. The midfielder scored eight goals and registered nine assists in 101 appearances for Sporting Lisbon's first-team.
Nunes also averaged a WhoScored player rating of 7.08 across 33 league appearances last season.
Because of the Portugal international's age, it would be fair to assume that he is far from the finished article.
But, if Liverpool did not make a move for Nunes, they must feel that he is not the midfielder they are looking for.
The Reds do possess an ageing midfield. Jordan Henderson, Thiago Alcantara and James Milner are all above the age of 30.
So, the club will need to invest in their midfield at some point in the near future.