Wolves in pole position to sign £43m gem who's "one of the best", Lage will love him - opinion

Wolverhampton Wanderers are facing some resistance from Sporting CP midfielder Matheus Nunes over a permanent transfer move, but still remain the favourites to acquire his signature.

That is according to a report from Sport Witness, who have relayed news from Portuguese outlet Record.

The report claims that whilst Wolves are in “pole position” for the Portugal star and hold the most “palpable” interest, negotiations have not advanced  due to a belief that the player is offering “some resistance” towards the move to Molineux.

It is said that Nunes wants a move to a Premier League club “of a superior level”, with agent Jorge Mendes said to be continually looking for “the best solution”.

As stated later in the piece, Sporting boss Ruben Amorim wants to see the move “aborted” and wants to count on Nunes next season.

It is said that Wolves have “€45m plus €5m ready” which matches the €50m (£43m) demanded by the Portuguese giants.

Described by Pep Guardiola as “one of the best players in the world”, Nunes’ impact on the pitch cannot be understated.

But this is despite the Portugal international having much of the ball, yet he still finds a way to shine with metrics that demonstrate utmost efficiency.

Nunes completes an average of 29.41 passes per 90, which places him in the 15th percentile amongst positionally similar players. This is a very low ranking, but 10.45 of these passes are under pressure, which is an entirely contrasting and elite metric that places the Portuguese midfielder in the 87th percentile.

Despite averaging just 50.49 touches per game, Nunes completes 3.19 dribbles with a progressive carrying distance of 141.73 yards – another elite total.

Ultimately, he does not see much of the ball, but does a lot with it