Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has stated that he wants Matheus Nunes to develop into a right-back, as he believes the player is “not clever enough” to play the midfield role he has held throughout his career.
The 26-year-old joined City from Wolves in August 2023 for £53 million.
Since then, Nunes has made 62 appearances for the club, most of them in midfield. However, with Guardiola still searching for a replacement for Kyle Walker at right-back, Nunes has been deployed in that position.
Following Nunes’ performance in the 0-0 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford, Guardiola expressed his view that the player does not possess the necessary qualities to play in midfield.
“He [Nunes] can become a good right-back due to his physicality,” Guardiola told reporters.
“I think he’s not a player suited to midfield because he’s not clever enough in terms of composure, but he has incredible skills and is learning a lot.
“The biggest mistake for full-backs is when they don’t react to crosses to the far post, they are often caught out.
“But he defended really well against two or three crosses, such as when Bruno [Fernandes] put one into the far post for [Patrick] Dorgu.
“He has the awareness and physicality to perform in that role, so he can play there and help us a lot.”