Why Matheus Cunha to Arsenal transfer links do not make sense

Matheus Cunha is very good at football, but that doesn't mean Arsenal should be signing him in the January transfer window.

The latest indications - including an exclusive report from Footy Insider - suggest the Gunners are set to make a move for the Wolves forward this month, but the relegation-threatened club will not let their main man depart without a fuss.

Cunha has proven himself in the Premier League as a dazzling crowd-pleaser who's stood out for a poor team. He's scored 26 Wolves goals in 76 games and is on course for his most productive scoring campaign in 2024/25.

In a way, Arsenal are bereft of Cunha-like profiles: individualists capable of supplying an alternate fan experience. Mikel Arteta is a preacher of stability and control, and while there's no denying that this Gunners team is very good, they're not the most watchable. Cunha is doubtlessly capable of igniting a side that has occasionally struggled to reliably fashion openings from open play, all while adding increased directness and standout ball-carrying abilities.

There are perks to signing Cunha, but he's not the sort of profile Arsenal should be prioritising in January.

Why Matheus Cunha to Arsenal transfer links do not make sense

I'd say a player of Cunha's ilk would be priority number three for the Gunners this month. While Ethan Nwaneri showed promise at Brentford, Arsenal require superior Bukayo Saka cover and supporters are desperate for a number nine.

I understand that the additions of high-quality performers in both positions of need will be difficult to acquire this month, but Cunha's signing should not inhibit the club's ability to conduct business in those areas this summer. With Wolves fighting to remain in the Premier League and Cunha ever so crucial to their survival hopes, Arsenal would surely have to pay well over the odds to bring him in.

The Brazilian is a versatile operator adept in multiple roles, but he's not yet proven himself as a leading man up top. He's either excelled as a number ten (Hertha Berlin) or second striker (Wolves). His desire to evolve into an outright nine at Atletico Madrid never came to fruition and he was out of the door within 18 months.

I can envisage Arteta attempting to shoe-horn the 25-year-old into various functions, but none seem utopian for Cunha in Arsenal's current set-up. A fully functional left-hand side (which we've only seen for brief spells since Granit Xhaka departed) will be required for Cunha to enjoy success as a wide player, and I have reservations over Cunha functioning as a #9. It could work, but is his ceiling any higher than a confident Gabriel Jesus? Is he the level-raiser required to take Arsenal to Premier League titles and Champions League crowns?

An interesting proposition would be using Cunha as the third midfielder from the left half-space. That'd surely elevate Arsenal as an attacking force, but Arteta would undoubtedly have reservations without the ball. The Brazilian is no slouch out of possession - only two Wolves players have regained the ball more times than Cunha this season - but either he or press leader Martin Odegaard would have to function in the midfield pivot. That's not ideal.

I understand the allure of Cunha and wouldn't be vehemently against his arrival, but I do have reservations. Despite his innate ability, Premier League comfort and likely desperation to prove himself at a giant after his Atleti woes, Cunha is a financial risk that wouldn't be worth taking as a result of his ambiguous tactical fit.

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