Guardiola ready to offer Matheus Nunes in swap deal to sign Premier League star as replacement for Rodri at Manchester City: Reports

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is ready to offer Portuguese midfielder Matheus Nunes in a swap deal to sign Newcastle United star Bruno Guimaraes. According to reports from The Daily Mail, the Spanish tactician is willing to part ways with the 26-year-old in a potential deal for the Brazilian midfield enforcer.

Guimaraes joined the Magpies from Ligue 1 side Olympique Lyon for a reported £40 million fee in January 2022. He helped his new side qualify for the UEFA Champions League in his first full season at St. James' Park (2022-23), attracting the attention of multiple top European sides.

It is reported that the 27-year-old has a release clause worth a whopping £100 million in his current contract. The astronomical fee is believed to have put Manchester City off last summer, but they now believe that Nunes could help them secure the deal.

The Portuguese midfielder finds himself expendable at the Etihad after failing to establish himself in Guardiola's lineup. He has made 46 appearances, but just 24 of them have been starts.

The Cityzens are looking for a suitable replacement for superstar midfielder Rodri, who has been sidelined with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear. In his absence, City have struggled to maintain consistency, enduring a seven-game winless streak before their 3-0 win against Nottingham Forest (December 4).

The 28-year-old has stated that he hopes to be back before the end of the season. The Manchester City boss, however, is believed to be looking for an instant solution to rescue his side's floundering campaign.

It is believed that Newcastle will have to part ways with one of their prized possessions in order to comply with financial fairplay (FFP) rules. Although they successfully fended off top European sides over the summer, they will likely have to sell Guimaraes or star striker Alexander Isak to avoid any repercussions.

"I would take him without a doubt" - Manchester City midfielder Rodri urges club to sign Barcelona, Arsenal transfer target

Manchester City superstar Rodri has urged the club to make a move for highly-rated Athletic Club winger Nico Williams. The 22-year-old, who is also believed to be on Barcelona and Arsenal's radar, has been an outstanding performer for club and country over the past few seasons.

A graduate of Athletic's Basque-only academy, he graduated to the first team in the 2020-21 season. He immediately become an important player, and has racked up 22 goals and 31 assists in 141 games thus far.

He is also a regular Spanish international, with 24 caps to his name. His impressive campaign at EURO 2024 (two goals and an assist in six games), including a goal in the final, garnered the attention of top European sides.

At Spanish media outlet AS' annual award ceremony in Madrid (December 2), Rodri was asked if 'he would take Williams to Manchester City' the next day. He replied (via Metro):

"Yes, yes. Right now if I was taking him I would also be taking him to teach him a little bit about the cold in England, although it’s similar to Bilbao. But yes, I would take him with me without a doubt."

Williams has bagged two goals and five assists in 19 appearances in the 2024-25 campaign.