Wolverhampton Wanderers have been dealt a major blow in their pursuit of Sporting CP midfielder Matheus Nunes, according to Portuguese newspaper O Jogo (via Sport Witness).
The lowdown: Slow-moving
Despite ongoing speculation linking Nunes with a move to Molineux, the protracted transfer deal is proving to be a drawn-out process as Bruno Lage attempts to strengthen his squad.
The 23-year-old is clearly a top target for the Wanderers having performed beyond his years for some time now, amassing 99 first-team outings for the Lisbon-based giants and earning senior international recognition in the process.
Whilst all roads have seemingly pointed towards the arrival of Nunes, a fresh report emerging from Portugal has thrown a potential spanner in the works...
The latest: 'Some resistance'
As per O Jogo, transcribed by SW, Wolves are facing 'some resistance' from the player regarding the mooted switch to the Midlands.
It's claimed that the eight-cap Portugal star wants a Premier League club 'of a superior level' to the Old Gold and super-agent Jorge Mendes is still working on 'the best solution' for his client this summer.
The report also states that Sporting manager Ruben Amorim would like to see the sale 'aborted' in order to keep the midfielder hailed for a host of 'exceptional' performances in 2021 by journalist Patrick Ribeiro.
The verdict: Plan ahead
Given Nunes' ever-rising stock, admiration from Pep Guardiola and previous links to Manchester United and Manchester City, it's no surprise that the cultured Portuguese ace would be potentially holding out hope for a move to a top-drawer club with the offer of Champions League football on the table.
However, as things stand it's Wolves who are pushing hardest for the £31.5million valued starlet, who scored four times and provided five assists from 50 appearances across all competitions last season, predominantly operating as a box-to-box midfielder.
Albeit the speculation surrounding Ruben Neves has subsided somewhat and there will be hope that silence is indeed golden, should the Wanderers' favourite move on as had been expected this summer then Lage and executive chairman Jeff Shi need to act fast and the arrival of Nunes would be the ideal reaction to such an eventuality.