Arsenal ‘pushing’ to sign 10-goal Premier League sensation from ‘reluctant’ rivals
Arsenal want to sign Matheus Cunha from Wolves in January but the Midlands club have no interest in selling their talisman mid-season, according to reports.
Cunha has been Wolves’ standout performer this season, scoring 10 goals and providing four assists in 19 Premier League matches.
He has been the Molineux club’s best player by miles and his goal contributions alone have accounted for nine of their 16 points.
The Brazilian joined Wolves from Atletico Madrid on an initial loan deal in January 2023, signing permanently for around £44million six months later.
He could only manage two goals in 20 matches across all competitions in the second half of the 2022/23 campaign but struck 14 times while notching eight assists last season.
Cunha’s form has been exceptional this term and he is unsurprisingly attracting transfer interest from a host of top clubs including Arsenal.
Wolves will dig deep to keep hold of their star player but a move to the Emirates could be too appealing for the 25-year-old to turn down.
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Arsenal are contemplating signing a new attacker this month following an injury to Bukayo Saka, who is out for around three months after undergoing surgery on his hamstring.
Cunha is capable of playing in any position across the front three and would be a superb option on the right in Saka’s absence, though teenager Ethan Nwaneri looked very comfortable there against Brentford on New Year’s Day.
Arsenal fans have been desperate for Mikel Arteta to sign a new No. 9 for a long time and while Cunha is a superb player, he does not feel like the game-changing attacker that will leave Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus in the dust.
And given Wolves’ struggles this season (they are currently 17th in the Premier League), the ex-Atletico player will probably cost more than the Gunners are willing to pay.
Regardless, Football Insider report that Arsenal are ‘working on a deal’ to sign Cunha as ‘Saka’s replacement’.
Indeed, Arteta has ‘decided to explore a move for another forward’ and are keen on bringing a player in on loan.
It is claimed that Arsenal ‘are pushing to land the attacker’ in the winter transfer window but Wolves ‘are reluctant to let him go – presenting a major stumbling block’.
If the Gunners do explore the loan market, they will not be able to do business with a Premier League rival unless they terminate Raheem Sterling or Neto’s loan.
Arsenal are also held back by the fact they ‘do not have the funds to pursue a permanent deal for another attacker in January’, while they also ‘feel that the right targets will not be available mid-season’.
Everything points towards the Gunners not signing an attacker in January, especially if Nwaneri and Jesus continue to impress.
Jesus has scored six goals in his last four appearances, bagging a hat-trick against Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup last month.
Cunha’s fellow Brazilian has scored three in three Premier League matches after failing to score in 23 top-flight appearances.
Arsenal face Brighton on Saturday as they look to put the pressure on league leaders Liverpool, who host Manchester United on Sunday.
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