Nottingham Forest is preparing a club record bid. Arsenal are one of four other Premier League clubs interested. Wolves must fight to keep hold of Matheus Cunha this month.
The forward has become one of the most talked-about names of the January transfer window as Premier League clubs hunt for attacking reinforcements. Here we explain why he is in high demand.
Clinical finishing
Cunha's goals are obviously the key to his appeal.
The 24-year-old, formerly of RB Leipzig, Hertha Berlin and Atletico Madrid, arrived at Wolves with untapped potential but has delivered on that at Molineux, following a 14-goal campaign by reaching double figures before the halfway mark of this season. season.
His tally of 21 goals from penalties in the past 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. It's all the more impressive because he did it on a struggling team.
His tally includes a number of stunning efforts, converted from unlikely angles and in unlikely circumstances, many of which have encountered the sides now coveting his signature.
Most recently, a goal came straight from a corner against Manchester United. Last season, Cunha scored emphatically with his weaker foot against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. Forest fell victim to a tremendous solo attack at the City Ground.
Cunha benefits from a limited serve at Wolves, but still manages to score a large number of shots. His total of 63 this season is in fact the fifth highest in the division. Crucially, he also has a knack for converting low-quality chances, something that is reflected in the underlying numbers.
According to Opta, Cunha has scored roughly eight more goals than he should have over the past two seasons, based on the quality of his chances. He is behind only Manchester City's Phil Foden and Forest's Chris Wood in terms of expected goal overperformance.
Is his overperformance sustainable? Maybe not to this extent. But the fact that his numbers have held up for two seasons bodes well. 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 link play
Cunha is both a creator and a goalscorer. This season he has created almost twice as many chances as any other Wolves player, with 36. His talent as a set-piece taker is unlikely to have gone unnoticed by dead-ball specialists Arsenal, but he also excels in open game.
The graph below illustrates the scope of his creativity. There is a high concentration of chances from left corners, but Cunha also created openings through short passes in and around the opponent's penalty area and even long balls from his own half.
He has provided four assists in addition to his 10 goals this season and his figures last season were also impressive, when he made seven assists in addition to his 12 Premier League goals. His selflessness was on display when he ensured Hee-Chan Hwang scored in the win over Manchester United on Boxing Day instead of shooting himself.
“He can create something special,” Wolves boss Vitor Pereira told Sky Sports last week. “He has everything we expect from a creative player.”
His ability to combine with teammates and connect the game is another strength. His tally of 258 last-third passes puts him just outside the top ten strikers in the Premier League this season, in a list otherwise dominated by players from top-half clubs.
Ball carrying and 'unpredictability'
When he's not unleashing shots on goal or loosening 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 excellent control and one-on-one ability.
His ball carrying is a big asset for Wolves. He helps relieve the pressure and get them down the field, and it shows in the numbers. Cunha has carried the ball for almost four kilometers this season, putting him in the top ten in the Premier League for carry distance.
His plundering forays are invaluable as a means of destabilizing opposition defenses and often put him in shooting positions. In fact, his total of 20 shot finishes this season is bettered by just five players, including Mohamed Salah and Cole Palmer.
However, he is above both players when it comes to dribbles completed. Cunha's tally of 39 successful games this season sees him seventh in the Premier League, highlighting his flair for beating his man and working his way out of tight spaces.
“He is fast with the ball, he is unpredictable with the ball,” Pereira said on Sky Sports. It's a devastating combination.
Versatility factor
Cunha's appeal is enhanced by its versatility.
Since arriving at Wolves, he has been deployed in a host of different roles, as can be seen by breaking down his minutes played by position.
Gary O'Neil, Pereira's predecessor, sought to maximize his goal threat as a No. 9, something he detailed in an interview with Sky Sports over a year ago. But Cunha feels most comfortable, and probably most dangerous, when he is given the freedom to roam.
This season he has mainly played as a number 10, behind Jorgen Strand Larsen, from where he can sometimes pick up the ball in deeper areas – something Pereira has encouraged – and at others attack the opposition.
He has added poaching ability to his repertoire over his time at Wolves, scoring a string of close-range goals as well as the more spectacular efforts. But it is his all-round attacking offering that makes him a 'special' player, to quote Pereira.
Work rate and intensity
Pereira has subsequently criticized Cunha's body language and criticized his behavior during Wolves' 3-1 defeat to Chelsea on Monday Night Football. But for the most part, he has shown intensity and work-rate to complement his talent.
“He's a great guy with a big heart who wants to do his best for the team,” O'Neil told Sky Sports. “If you look at his work rate and the numbers he produces, he works really hard.”
Premier League tracking data shows he is among the best of the Wolves players in terms of sprints this season. Only three players, Joao Gomes, Larsen and Rayan Ait-Nouri, have covered more ground.
Pereira has previously outlined Cunha's importance to the Wolves press. This season he has won possession in the final third 16 times, the eighth highest total in the division. He also scores high in terms of duels won and counter pressure.
It's another reason why suitors are circling.
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