So, our first ever Chilean has finally arrived.
Last night, following some transatlantic jet-setting, Marcelino Nuñez was finally introduced as a City player amid the now traditional fanfare of slo-mo badge-kissing and name-on-the-shirt pointing.
Whether this signing is a stroke of genius from Stuart Webber or another damp squib will only be revealed over the coming months but, on the face of it, to have signed a 22-year-old international for a fee reported to be in the region of €4m looks a decent piece of business.
If the YouTube clips of Nuñez are anything to go by we have bought ourselves an attacking midfielder par excellence, albeit we all know how easy it is to be seduced by a few video clips. But you don’t get to play 10 times for Chile if you don’t have a little something about you.
(For now, we’ll ignore the fact Josh Sargent has played 19 times for the USA).
Nuñez has signed a four-year deal at City, although we all know the score and that one of the main selling points – for us and the player – is that if he clicks, there’s every chance he could quickly move up the footballing food chain while we make a profit on our purchase.
But for now, it’s all about Nuñez settling into his new surroundings and finding his feet at a new club in a new country on a different continent – the magnitude of which we shouldn’t underestimate.
This is the player’s first-ever move away from his boyhood club, Club Deportivo Universidad Catolica, whose youth system he joined in 2014 at the age of 14, so patience may be needed as he finds his feet at Colney and then Carrow Road.
As well as playing international football, Nuñez also played for his club in the Copa Libertadores – the South American equivalent of the Champions League – so we’ll be getting someone who has experienced the top level of club football.
Dean Smith said of Nuñez on the club’s official channels: “He’s a player that we believe can connect us from back to front. He can see a pass and open things up” – a description that could be applied to one Emi Buendia, although I’m told that in terms of style, they are very different players.
So, now we wait and see.
With Gabriel Sara hopefully edging closer to a start and Nuñez already match-fit (he played at the weekend for Universidad Católica), perhaps we’ll all be given a much-needed lift with the sight of two South Americans in Saturday’s matchday squad.
Here’s hoping.
Welcome aboard, Marcelino. We’ll look after you.
With the unsettled atmosphere around the club at the moment, I really hope that the guy is given a settling-in period with patience. But have this horrible gut feeling some will expect him to hit the ground running because of being South American, the same with Sara. There will be some shame on them.
Perhaps a place on the bench and 15-20 minute run out, but what do I know
Great news that he has now signed. I would be surprised to see him in the squad on Saturday – jetting half way around the world, he will probably have some jet lag to overcome … I expect he will get some minutes next Tuesday against Birmingham in the Carabao cup and then be in the squad/team for the away game at Hull the following Saturday
Hi Gary
Pessimist or optimist maybe somewhere in between might be better.
So now we have A Chilean, Cuban and a Brazilian are we going all samba or Latino.
Will we get another Midfielder in from Spain a DM for €7m that the EDP says none of the interested European clubs are willing to pay or is it a smoke screen before he is announced.
So 3 Midfielder players in no strengthening of the defence and yet our midfield lost the plot last weekend end Sawyer a free transfer ran the show for Cardiff with a little help from Wintle.
Sorensen tried manfully to stop the tide but McLean went missing except for nearly scoring his one good point on the day.
Dean needs to either shake his ideas up or leave raking Webber with him.
Let’s hope our Samba boys can turn this season around or maybe a dark cloud will be hanging over Carow Rd and put of any American involvement
“although I’m told” ???
His clubs have signed both players- you would have thought he knew. Nunez has said he likes to get in the box. We are waiting for Smith to build a team of his own players,it sounds like he doesn’t know much about them.
“… although I’m told” were my words, not Dean Smith’s. Apologies if I didn’t make that clear.
May not be that far off Gary. at the end of the window
It was perfectly clear from the use of quotation marks in the appropriate place.
It’s just that some people love to jump on this crazy idea that because we have a director of football we recruit players the actual manager doesn’t want or know anything about. It’s a load of cobblers.
He loves Kenny though 🤣😅
Gary , it’s like I said to Martin , Smith is asked for what he wants , positionally , not who he wants. Webber does the who.
It then depends if a deal can be done within the available budget.
See norwiegan CB last year and Canadian midfielder last month.
Without optimism what do we have? I had hoped to detect a new pattern of play in the game at Cardiff but none was apparent maybe this new blood will provide the ability to change style. The concern is how come if we can get this player “cheaply” no one else seems to be interested.
No question new blood is needed so we must be optimistic and hope we have signed a gem.