Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta reportedly receives a boost in his pursuit of one of his key transfer targets, with the attacker prioritising a move to the Emirates.
Arsenal target Matheus Cunha has reportedly prioritised a move to the Emirates from Wolverhampton Wanderers over other Premier League rivals like Manchester United.
The Gunners narrowly defeated Wolves away from home on Saturday afternoon, overcoming Myles Lewis-Skelly‘s controversial sending off in the first half to win 1-0.
Mikel Arteta ensured that the gap to league-leaders Liverpool remained six points, but with key attackers Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus set to miss out on action for months, reinforcing in January could be essential in order to stay in the title race.
The likes of Alexander Isak have been linked to the club, but Newcastle United are reportedly set to offer the striker a new long-term deal in a bid to fend off interest.
However, TEAMtalk claim that Wolves attacker Cunha is willing to reject potential moves to Chelsea, Newcastle, Man United and Tottenham Hotspur in order to secure a transfer to Arsenal this month, with the forward keen to compete for the Premier League title.
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What would Cunha offer Arsenal?
Cunha is not a traditional striker like Erling Haaland, and it is not uncommon for the forward to be seen drifting to collect the ball in pockets of space on the left.
The Brazilian has often played with a central striker, someone capable of acting as a focal point from which to play towards during attacks.
Despite Wolves residing in 18th place, Cunha has managed to produce 10 goals and four assists in the Premier League this season.
It should be noted that the 25-year-old has drastically overperformed his expected goals figure, with the attacker having only accumulated 4.8 xG in the top flight this term.
However, Cunha’s impact goes beyond direct goal involvements, and his ability to carry the ball could be useful to Arsenal, who have at times struggled to progress the ball in central areas and have been shut out too often
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Would Cunha help Arsenal win major silverware?
The significance of Saka’s injury should not be overstated given he has arguably been the Gunners’ best player for a number of seasons.
Cunha would not be a like-for-like replacement given he prefers to operate on the left side of the pitch, and is perhaps somewhat less creative in terms of his passing.
It is difficult to see how Arsenal can realistically overhaul the lead that Liverpool boast, but Cunha could be a dangerous weapon in the knockout rounds of the Champions League.
Arsenal have shown that they are capable of being resilient defensively, and Cunha’s ball carrying abilities may be useful for quickly turning defence into attack against Europe’s top teams.
Clubs in Europe are often more vulnerable to transition-based attacks, and the Brazilian could exploit high lines and help get the best out of the likes of Gabriel Martinelli, who thrive in open space.
