Manchester City decided against a deal for Crystal Palace No.7 Michael Olise this summer – choosing to sign Matheus Nunes from Wolves instead.
The Citizens sealed a £53m deal for the Portugal international following the departures of Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez.
Now – thanks to The Athletic – we have been told why Manchester City decided to sign Matheus Nunes instead of Michael Olise…
What’s the story?
Well, Manchester City had the finances – and the pulling power – over the summer transfer window to sign both the France Under-21 international as well as Nunes.
However – according to The Athletic – Pep Guardiola did not want to sign Olise to ensure squad harmony remained strong.
It is said that the Spaniard doesn’t like to buy players he cannot guarantee game time to, at the risk of them becoming unhappy and a potential disturbance to the group’s morale as a result.
Guardiola felt Nunes would have a better chance of regular playing time compared to Olise.
We agree with that, as the Portuguese maestro can play in a number of different positions, whereas the Crystal Palace wonderkid has primarily shone on the right wing, where Bernardo Silva usually operates.
The Athletic add that Nunes was available for a lot less than Olise – another reason why Manchester City opted to sign the man from Rio de Janeiro instead.
Manchester City could take another look at Michael Olise next summer
In our view, there could be an opening for Olise at the Etihad Stadium next season – as Silva’s future is in doubt.
According to le10sport in France, the Manchester City No.20 has actually agreed personal terms with PSG as he aims to leave the Etihad Stadium next summer.
The French news outlet add that Silva will have a £50m release clause in his contract by that point, a sum PSG can quite easily afford.
If the 29-year-old does leave, then perhaps Guardiola will opt to reignite his interest in Olise to fill the void.
