Pep: Nunes not 'clever enough' to play midfield

Pep Guardiola wants Matheus Nunes to develop into a right-back for Manchester City after saying he is "not clever enough" to play the midfield role he has performed throughout his career.

The 26-year-old, who signed for City from Wolves in August 2023 in a £53 million ($70m) deal as a replacement for Ilkay Gündogan, has made 62 appearances for the reigning Premier League champions since arriving at the Etihad, with the majority of his outings in midfield.

But with Guardiola still searching for a reliable replacement at right-back for Kyle Walker, who left City in a loan move to AC Milan in January, Portugal midfielder Nunes has been deployed at full-back.

After Nunes played at right-back in Sunday's 0-0 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford, Guardiola made the startling claim that the player's shortcomings in midfield mean he now faces a future as a defender.

"He [Nunes] can become a good right-back for his physicality," Guardiola told reporters at Old Trafford. "I think he's not a player to play in midfield because he's not clever enough, in the composure, but he has incredible skills and he's learning a lot.

"The big mistake of full-backs is when you have the cross to the far post where you are, they are always sleeping.

"But he defended really well two or three crosses, like when Bruno [Fernandes] put it to the far post for [Patrick] Dorgu.

"He has the attention and the physicality to do it, so he can play in that position and help us a lot."

City signed defenders Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis during the January transfer, but Nunes has started ahead of both in recent weeks.

Despite being impressed by his defensive skills, however, Guardiola admits he is surprised that the player has made the transition from midfielder to full-back.

"When you start the season, if you said 'Matheus will play right-back' you would ask what I'm talking about," Guardiola said.

"But it is what it is. The back four was excellent [against United]. Rúben [Dias] was incredible. So we build from that."