Premier League
From midfield misfit to right-back revelation: Matheus Nunes’ Manchester City turnaround
In February 2022, Pep Guardiola hailed Matheus Nunes as ‘one of the best players in the world today’ after Manchester City’s 5-0 win over Sporting Lisbon. Nineteen months later, Guardiola revised that assessment, stating: “Maybe I over-exaggerated a little bit. He’s not.”
The Portuguese midfielder arrived at City from Wolves in summer 2023, but his early months were marked by inconsistency. Guardiola publicly questioned Nunes’ footballing intelligence, stating he ‘wasn’t clever enough’ to play in midfield and ‘lacked composure’. By April 2025, the Catalan had decided to deploy the natural midfielder as a right-back, a move that initially baffled observers.
Nunes’ adaptation to the new role has since been emphatic. In the 2025-26 season, only Erling Haaland made more Manchester City starts than Nunes’ 45. His performances have drawn widespread acclaim, with Guardiola now describing him as ‘becoming one of the best right-backs in the world’.
The transformation contrasts sharply with Nunes’ turbulent early years at the Etihad Stadium. After signing in summer 2023, he struggled for game time, making just 14 starts in his first campaign. His return to Wolves in a City shirt drew jeers from the Molineux crowd, and a poor performance saw him substituted at half-time.
Guardiola’s tactical shift on 11 January 2025 proved pivotal. In an 8-0 FA Cup win over Salford City, the manager started Nunes at right-back—a position the player had never occupied regularly. The move unlocked Nunes’ potential, combining his pace, energy, and crossing ability with defensive solidity.
City’s transfer strategy in summer 2023 reflected a broader tactical evolution. Departures of possession specialists like Aymeric Laporte, Ilkay Gundogan, and Riyad Mahrez were offset by arrivals such as Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic, aimed at adding physicality to counter man-to-man systems.
Declan Rice’s eventual move to Arsenal for over £100 million highlighted City’s midfield recruitment challenges. Nunes, initially a fallback option, emerged as the solution—a player Guardiola had first admired during the 5-0 victory over Sporting in 2022.
Nunes’ journey from midfield misfit to right-back revelation underscores Guardiola’s adaptability. The manager’s willingness to redefine a player’s role has reshaped Nunes’ career and City’s defensive options for the new era.