Matheus Cunha transfer: Why Wolves striker is wanted by Arsenal, Nottingham Forest and others | Football news
Nottingham Forest are preparing a club record bid. Arsenal is one of four Premier League clubs interested. Wolves face a battle to keep hold of Matheus Cunha this month.
The striker has become one of the most talked about names in the January transfer window as Premier League clubs look for attacking reinforcements. Here we explain why it is in demand.
Clinical finishing
Cunha’s goals are of course key to his appeal.
The 24-year-old, a former member of RB Leipzig, Hertha Berlin and Atletico Madrid, arrived at Wolves with untapped potential but has capitalized on it at Molineux, after a 14-goal campaign to hit double figures before the halfway mark of this tournament. season.
His total of 21 goals from penalties in the last two Premier League seasons puts him among the competition’s top scorers, level with Tottenham’s Heung-Min Son and ahead of Arsenal’s Kai Havertz. That’s even more impressive considering he did it on a struggling team.
His list includes some stunning efforts, converted from incredible angles and in incredible circumstances, many of which have come against sides who now covet his signature.
Recently there was a direct goal from a corner against Manchester United. Last season, Cunha scored an impressive goal with his weaker foot against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. Forest fell victim to a superb solo strike at the City Ground.
Cunha feeds off a limited serve at Wolves, but still manages to land a large amount of shots. His total of 63 this season is actually the fifth most in the division. Crucially, he also has a knack for converting low-quality chances, something that shows through the underlying numbers.
According to Opti, Cunha scored approximately eight more goals than him you should had over the past two seasons, based on the quality of his opportunities. He is behind only Manchester City’s Phil Foden and Forest’s Chris Wood in terms of expected higher goal output.
Is his over-performance sustainable? Maybe not to this extent. But the fact that his numbers have held up for two seasons is good. And given that he already excels at converting half-chances, it’s tempting to imagine what he could produce with a better serve.
Creativity and connected play
Cunha is a creator, but also a shooter. He has created almost twice as many chances as any other Wolves player this season, with 36. His ball-catching ability is unlikely to go unnoticed by Arsenal’s set-piece specialists, but he is also excellent in open play.
The graphic below illustrates the breadth of his creativity. There is a high concentration of chances from corners on the left, but Cunha also opened up short passes in and around the opposition box and even long balls from the inside of his own half.
He has provided four assists to go with his 10 goals this season and his numbers were just as impressive last season, when he made seven assists to go with his 12 goals in the Premier League. His unselfishness could be seen when he teed up Hee-Chan Hwang to score in the Boxing Day win against Manchester United, instead of shooting himself.
“He can create something special,” the Wolves boss said Vitor Pereira Sky Sports last week. “He has everything we want in a creative player.”
His ability to combine with teammates and connect play is another asset. His total of 258 final third passes puts him just outside the top 10 among strikers in the Premier League this season, a list normally dominated by players from top-half clubs.
Carrying the ball and ‘unpredictability’
When he’s not shooting at goal or denying defenses with passes, Cunha can often be seen charging forward with the ball seemingly glued to his feet. The Brazilian international combines speed and power with outstanding control and one-on-one ability.
His ball carrying is a huge asset for Wolves, helping them to release pressure and get them up the pitch and it shows in the numbers. Cunha has carried the ball almost 4km this season, which puts him in the top 10 Premier League strikers for carrying distance.
His marauding runs are invaluable as a means of destabilizing opposing defenses and often put him in shooting positions. In fact, his total of 20 shots finished this season is better than only five players, including Mohamed Salah and Cole Palmer.
However, he is above both players when it comes to completed dribbles. Cunha’s total of 39 successful tackles this season puts him seventh in the Premier League, highlighting his talent for beating his man and finding his way out of tight spaces.
“He’s quick with the ball, he’s unpredictable with the ball,” added Pereira Sky Sports. It’s a devastating combination.
The versatility factor
Cunha’s appeal is enhanced by his versatility.
Since arriving at Wolves, he has been used in a multitude of different roles, as can be seen when analyzing his minutes per position.
Gary O’Neil, Pereira’s predecessor, sought to maximize his goal threat as a No 9, something he detailed in interview with Sky Sports a little over a year ago. But Cunha is at her most comfortable, and probably most dangerous, when she is given the freedom to roam.
This season he mostly played as a number 10, behind Jorgen Strand Larsen, from where he could sometimes pick up the ball in deeper areas – something Pereira encouraged – and attack the opposition’s box in others.
He added poaching ability to his repertoire during his time at Wolves, scoring a number of goals from close range as well as more spectacular efforts. But his versatile attacking offering makes him a “special” player, to quote Pereira.
Speed and intensity of work
Pereira later criticized Cunha’s body language, challenging his behavior during Wolves’ 3-1 defeat by Chelsea on Monday Night Football. However, he mostly showed intensity and work rate to complement his talent.
“He’s an amazing guy with a big heart who wants to do his best for the team,” O’Neil said Sky Sports last season. “If you look at his work rate and the numbers he produces, he works on his feet.”
Premier League tracking data shows he tops Wolves players for sprints this season. Only three players, Joao Gomes, Larsen and Rayan Ait-Nouri, covered more ground.
Pereira previously highlighted Cunha’s importance to Wolves’ media. He has won possession in the final third 16 times this season, the eighth highest total in the division. He is also highly ranked in terms of tackles won and counter-presses.
It’s just another reason why suitors are circling.
