Manchester City have not been in contact with Sporting Lisbon about signing Matheus Nunes, according to A BOLA.

The Portuguese tabloid was responding to claims made by Spanish TV programme ‘El Chiringuito’ who suggested the Premier League champions had made their move for the 23-year-old.

However, it is believed that “no negotiations” have taken place between City and Sporting about Nunes, who has been tipped as a potential replacement for Bernardo Silva.

A number of other English teams have been linked with Nunes, including Chelsea, Liverpool and Wolves, but Sporting boss Ruben Amorim claimed last week that he had persuaded the player to remain in Portugal for another season.

Despite his remarks, though, it is said that Sporting would be open to selling Nunes if a club matches their asking price. It is thought that an offer worth €50m (£42m), including add-ons, would be enough to secure the Portuguese international’s signature.