Reports suggest that a move to Manchester City is imminent for a midfield target, with the club swiftly submitting an initial bid exceeding £42.7 million for Wolve’s Matheus Nunes, following the conclusion of their pursuit of Lucas Paqueta.

Earlier in the summer, West Ham’s playmaker, Paqueta, was on Pep Guardiola’s radar, with Manchester City even having a £88 million bid turned down by West Ham. However, City decided to abandon their interest in the Brazilian international last week, coinciding with revelations that the player is under investigation by the Football Association for allegedly breaching their betting regulations.

Despite the thriving form of Phil Foden in a central role, Guardiola is keen to reinforce his midfield, especially with Kevin De Bruyne sidelined for three to four months due to a hamstring injury.

As a result, Guardiola has now shifted his focus to Nunes, with reports also linking Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze to the club.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano disclosed on Wednesday that Nunes is currently a higher priority for City than Eze, and internal discussions regarding his acquisition are ongoing. Less than an hour after this update, Romano revealed that Manchester City has made an initial offer for Nunes, exceeding €50 million (£42.7 million) in total with potential add-ons. Personal terms have reportedly already been agreed upon between City and Nunes, who has “accepted” the move to Guardiola’s team.

Nunes only joined Wolves last summer, and the club is reportedly keen to retain his services, although their challenging financial situation may force them to consider the offer. The additional funds could provide Gary O’Neil, Wolves’ manager, with the opportunity to strengthen his squad and, most importantly, secure a proficient striker.

Scoring goals has been a persistent issue for Wolves, and failing to acquire a new No. 9 before the transfer window closes could result in many tipping them for relegation this season.

Conversely, losing their top player with the transfer deadline looming is far from ideal and would place any club in a challenging predicament.

Nunes, who was signed for approximately £38 million last summer, has demonstrated glimpses of his potential, although consistency has eluded him. In his debut season for Wolves, the 24-year-old contributed two goals and two assists in 41 appearances.