Man City boost as Guardiola learns swap deal could help him land top Premier League target

Manchester City have received a boost in their pursuit of Wolves midfielder Matheus Nunes as the idea of a swap deal has been floated.

With Kevin De Bruyne sidelined for the foreseeable future, Man City are desperate to sign another midfielder before the transfer window slams shut.

They have signed Mateo Kovacic this summer, although his addition was to offset the loss of İlkay Gundogan. Man City are renowned for their squad depth, but right now they are relying upon their youngsters to make up the numbers.

Nunes has been a target for Pep Guardiola for some time with the Spanish boss seemingly keen on the Portuguese international.

Man City had their opening bid of £47m rejected by Wolves, but the player has since tried to force the move through himself.

Nunes has now stopped training with Gary O’Neil’s side and has made it clear that he wants to move to the Etihad this summer.

From Wolves perspective, a deal will only go through if their asking price is met. However, Man City might have found a creative solution to this conundrum.

According to 90min, Wolves would be open to the idea of a cash plus player exchange. Wolves are said to be keen on James McAtee and Tommy Doyle who could be used to sweeten this deal.

The Man City youngsters both spent last season out on loan with Sheffield United and they have had plenty of admirers already this summer.

While Man City aren’t prepared to let McAtee leave on a permanent basis, they would perhaps be open to the idea of another loan.

This deal would suit both parties

While Wolves will be reluctant to let Nunes leave this summer, this deal could end up helping them in the long run. The sale of Nunes would ease their FFP burden and they could potentially take McAtee on loan for the season and sign Doyle on a permanent basis.

Despite the turbulence behind the scenes, Wolves have looked competitive in the league so far. They were unlucky not to get anything against Man Utd and they claimed their first win of the season against Everton.

Sheffield United are keen to sign McAtee on loan once again after the star impressed at Bramall Lane last season. The midfielder scored nine goals and produced three assists as the Blades gained promotion.

While McAtee himself would reportedly be keen on rejoining Paul Heckingbottom’s side for the season, Guardiola seems to have other plans in mind for the midfielder maestro.

Guardiola would prefer to send the 20-year-old to either a top European club or a top-half Premier League team according to reports.

While Wolves probably aren’t considered in that calibre, they could use the Nunes deal as a way to snap up McAtee on loan.