Arsenal have joined Leeds United in the race to sign Atletico Madrid forward Matheus Cunha in January, according to Goal.
The Gunners are on the search for a new striker this winter with Gabriel Jesus likely to be sidelined for three months following his knee surgery.
Yesterday, the club were linked with Atletico’s Joao Felix and it is now reported that they are interested in signing his fellow teammate Cunha.
Cunha joined Atletico from Hertha Berlin in the summer of 2021 but he has since played just 1758 minutes across 54 appearances under Diego Simeone.
Despite his limited game time, he has registered seven goals and eight assists for them. He has been somewhat of a super-sub for the Madrid giants.
Ahead of January, Cunha is expected to leave Atletico and it appears the Premier League could be his next destination, as per widespread reports.
Goal now claim that Arsenal have entered the pursuit of the Brazilian, who is also on the radar of Leeds, Aston Villa as well as Wolverhampton Wanderers.
While Leeds, Villa and Wolves have been in talks with the player’s representatives, it is reported that Arsenal’s interest is ‘less advanced’ at the moment.
Arsenal should consider Cunha deal
Cunha does not come with a high-profile reputation as Felix, but the Brazilian had a good debut season at Atletico last term with regular goal involvements.
He has struggled to replicate the performances this season. The €20 million-rated star has not been helped by the fact that Simeone rarely starts him at Atletico.
Cunha, who can play as a main striker or on either wing, needs more minutes to unleash his full potential and he could have an ideal platform at Arsenal after Jesus’ setback.
The 23-year-old may not be assured a guaranteed starting league role in future, but he would have a fair chance to prove his credentials leading the line for the club.
He could be available for a relatively low fee next month, but the Gunners should also consider a loan deal with an option to buy at the end of the current campaign.
