'He didn’t hit the heights he expected' - Wolves lash out at departing Matheus Nunes and blast his decision to go on strike in scathing statement following £52m Man City move

Wolves have taken a parting shot at Matheus Nunes following his £52m transfer to Manchester City

The club released a scathing statement as they announced Nunes had completed his move to City, slamming his refusal to attend training once Pep Guardiola's side had declared their interest in him. Wolves also criticised the Portugal international's performances for the West Midlands side following his club record signing from Sporting CP last year.

I was disappointed with how it ended, it wasn’t necessary the stance Matheus took, but we ended with a good resolution for everyone, Wolves' sporting director Matt Hobbs said. Matheus is a hugely talented player but would admit that last season he didn’t hit the heights he expected, but it was a tough season for the team, so maybe he wasn’t allowed to do that.

Nunes scored only once and provided just one assist for Wolves in the Premier League last season, the same number of goals he contributed to in just two games for Sporting CP. However, City are confident they can get the best out of the 25-year-old, who received gushing praise from Pep Guardiola more than 18 months ago. City sporting director Txiki Begiristain said: Everyone knows Pep improves players – we have seen it so often – and we cannot wait to see how Matheus develops under his management.

The Portugal international could make his debut for City against Fulham on Saturday.