Arsenal have joined the race to sign Atletico Madrid forward Matheus Cunha in the January window transfer window, according to Goal.com.
The Gunners will have to beat off competition from fellow Premier League clubs, Aston Villa, Wolves and Leeds United – who are also keen to sign the South American star.
According to the report, Leeds are actively in talks with the players’ agents to see if he would be open to a January switch, so Arsenal may have to act fast if they want to win the race.
Mikel Arteta is in dire need of a forward after Gabriel Jesus was forced to undergo surgery on a serious knee injury that he suffered while playing for Brazil at the World Cup.
Jesus, who joined the Gunners from Manchester City last summer, is expected to be out for three months, leaving the Premier League leaders short of attackers.
Competition
Cunha has now emerged as a target for the Gunners, with the Brazilian believed to be on his way out of Atletico Madrid following a difficult spell at the club.
The 23-year-old, who is valued at just £17m [€20m] by Transfermarkt, has made 17 appearances across all competitions so far this season. However, he’s yet to score a single goal and has provided just two assists, and his poor form has led to reports he could be on the move this winter.
Cunha joined the La Liga side from Hertha Berlin in 2021 and his contract at Atletico runs until 2026. He’s featured for the Brazil under-23 team and was the top scorer of the 2019 Toulon Tournament and the 2020 CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament. He’s made 24 appearances for the under-23 side and scored 21 goals.
However, he has failed to replicate such goal scoring form at club level. According to Goal, Aston Villa and Wolves have already reached out to Cunha’s agents to discuss a possible move but a deal is yet to materialise.
Arsenal’s recognised striker at the moment is Eddie Nketiah, who has not scored this season after making 12 league appearances. Arteta wants to add depth in the attacking department ahead of the January transfer window and Cunha is now on his radar.
Arsenal have been linked with a host of forward players including Cunha’s teammate at Atletico Madrid, Joao Felix, ahead of the winter transfer window.
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