Liverpool cannot sign Matheus Nunes this month due to FIFA rule

Liverpool won’t sign Matheus Nunes from Wolves this month as the midfielder wouldn’t be able to play for the club until next season. Nunes put pen-to-paper on a deal at the Molineux in August after leaving Sporting Lisbon.

Liverpool are desperate for midfield reinforcements after whimpering to their fifth Premier League defeat of the season at the hands of Brentford on Monday night. The Reds were missing Jordan Henderson through concussion for the encounter, while Fabinho and Thiago struggled to get a grip on the showdown.

Jurgen Klopp’s team have been long-term admirers of Nunes and were said to be chasing him before his move to the Black Country. But FIFA regulations say a player can only play competitively for two clubs in one season, which means Liverpool would have to wait until the start of the next campaign to see him in club colours even if they could thrash out a deal with Wolves before the current transfer window closes.

Nunes made two appearances for Sporting at the start of the season before leaving Portugal. And the 24-year-old has gone on to feature 16 times for his current employers, with 14 of those matches coming in the Premier League.

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Liverpool have been in dismal form since the start of the campaign and have fallen to sixth in the Premier League table after losing five matches. Ahead of the break for the World Cup, Klopp’s side lost to Nottingham Forest and Leeds, before beating Tottenham and Southampton.

With north west rivals Manchester United picking up form and Newcastle showing signs of becoming top four regulars, Klopp will need to solve a whole host of issues if he is to guide his club back to the Champions League next season. And earlier this week, legendary defender Jamie Carragher said: “If Liverpool think they can get top four without signing a midfield player in this window, they’ve got absolutely no chance.”