---
title: "Everton: Toffees launch Primeira Liga scouting mission"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/everton-scouts-porto-sporting-matheus-nunes/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "David Comerford"
section: "Everton"
published: "2022-02-14T16:45:02Z"
modified: "2022-02-14T16:45:02Z"
---

# Everton: Toffees launch Primeira Liga scouting mission

**An Everton scout was in attendance for Friday’s Primeira Liga clash between FC Porto and Sporting Lisbon, according to Portuguese newspaper O Jogo (via [Sport Witness](https://sportwitness.co.uk/everton-back-portugal-friday-perhaps-matheus-nunes-transfer-isnt-completely/)).**

### The lowdown

Paulinho and Nuno Santos fired Sporting into a two-goal lead within 35 minutes, but Fabio Vieira and Mehdi Taremi responded to preserve Porto’s unbeaten record and indeed the six-point gap between the two teams.

The game also saw five red cards, with Sebastian Coates dismissed in the second half and four more players – Joao Palhinha, Bruno Tabata, Agustin Marchasin and Pepe – seeing red after the final whistle as a [fight broke out](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQbV8cVZIcQ).

Planning will be underway for Frank Lampard’s first full transfer window at Everton, with the 43-year-old [only officially appointed](https://www.evertonfc.com/news/2467281/lampard-appointed-everton-manager#:~:text=Everton%20Football%20Club%20can%20confirm,Park%20on%20Saturday%205%20February.) on deadline day last month.

### The latest

A report from O Jogo on Saturday (via [Sport Witness](https://sportwitness.co.uk/everton-back-portugal-friday-perhaps-matheus-nunes-transfer-isnt-completely/)) revealed that an Everton official was watching on at the Estadio do Dragao.

They weren’t the only Premier League club assessing the talent on show, with a [Newcastle scout also on the scene](https://sportwitness.co.uk/newcastle-united-scout-big-european-match-transfer-work-ahead-summer/).

### The verdict

Who might Everton have been watching on Friday? One likely candidate would be Sporting midfielder Matheus Nunes.

O Jogo [reported last summer](https://sportwitness.co.uk/reason-everton-cant-sign-midfielder-revealed-put-three-players-market/) that the Toffees were interested in the Brazilian, while Record [claimed](https://sportwitness.co.uk/rafa-benitez-appointment-made-signing-impossible-everton-move-close-still-happen/) that a deal was ‘very close’ at one point and raised the possibility that it could happen at a later date. The [player himself admitted](https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/matheus-nunes-speaks-out-everton-22575363) that the interest from Merseyside was genuine.

Nunes produced a decent showing on the night, completing four of his five dribbles, winning the majority of his 25 duels and making three tackles (via [SofaScore](https://www.sofascore.com/team/football/fc-porto/3002)).

The 23-year-old, who is valued at £19.8m by [Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/matheus-nunes/profil/spieler/601883) and was described as a ‘quality box-to-box midfielder’ by talent scout [Jacek Kulig](https://twitter.com/FTalentScout/status/1450578554375360521), may be one for Blues fans to keep an eye on, particularly with the eminent possibility that Goodison Park scouts have noticed his talents.

**In other news, [a potential defensive target for Lampard has emerged](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/everton-fc-transfer-rumours/everton-transfer-news-toffees-could-sign-sergio-gomez/)**