West Ham offered to sextuple the salary of Matheus Nunes in order to tempt him into moving to the London Stadium.
That’s according to a report form Portuguese football journalist Bruno Andrade who claims the Hammers were ready to pay Sporting €35 million (£30 million) plus a 15% sell-on clause.
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West Ham manager David Moyes desperately needs to bolster his central midfield options at the London Stadium before the transfer window slams shut.
The Scot has already signed Flynn Downes from Swansea but he undoubtedly needs to bring in more quality.
Nunes would have been the ideal addition for West Ham – he is a truly elite player.
Pep Guardiola once labelled the 23-year-old as one of the best players in the world.
It seems as though the Hammers are not yet at the level required to attract players like Nunes though…
West Ham made large salary offer to Matheus Nunes
Bruno Andrade reckons that the Hammers were ready to offer the 23-year-old six times what he earns at Sporting:
Nunes currently earns £13k-a-week with Sporting (Salary Sport), so it appears as though the Hammers were ready to pay him around £80k-a-week.
Unfortunately for us though, that obviously wasn’t enough to tempt the Portuguese star into moving to the London Stadium.
Nunes would have been a stunning signing for West Ham.
At 23 and 6ft tall, Nunes fits perfectly into the profile of player Moyes needs to add to his ranks.
The Portugal international bagged four goals and four assists in 50 games for Sporting last season (Transfermarkt).
In 33 league outings for Sporting last term, Nunes averaged 1.3 tackles per match. During those appearances, the 23-year-old made 42.4 passes on average per game and recorded an impressive completion rate of 86.2% (Who Scored).
He has been described by The Hard Tackle as a potentially ‘world-class’ player.
He can play as a defensive midfielder, in a more orthodox central role or even as a number 10.
The Portuguese ace possesses exceptional technical ability and is great at receiving the ball in tight spaces. He clearly has the physical attributes needed to succeed in the Premier League as well.
Matheus Nunes probably won’t be joining West Ham though. We believe that his next move will be to a Champions League club in England. And that’s a real shame for us.
Read other West Ham news:
Report claims ‘rapid’ West Ham target is now ‘very close’ to joining London rivals
Report: West Ham told to pay £20 million to sign ‘extraordinary’ attacker this summer
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