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Arsenal will know exactly what they have to pay if they opt to pursue Wolves forward Matheus Cunha in the summer.
Cunha was linked with a move to the Gunners throughout the January window before penning an extension in the West Midlands, although recent summaries of the club's work in the winter failed to list the Brazilian as a concrete target.
I was taken aback when the Cunha links first emerged at the very start of the window. While Arsenal were in need of a forward, I didn't see the Brazilian as a player capable of solving our issues despite his obvious talent. He's been brilliant since arriving in the Premier League, but Cunha wasn't then and he still isn't an ideal tactical fit for Arteta's side - nor is our control-oriented manager the sort of man to sanction the arrival of such mavericks at a crucial stage in his project's juncture.
A long list of clubs were keen on speaking to Cunha while discussions over a new deal at Wolves stalled, but he eventually put pen to paper at the start of February, confirming his extension with a signature gesture after scoring in their crucial 2-0 win over Aston Villa last week. That's one way to do it!
Will Arsenal target Matheus Cunha transfer after release clause revealed?
🚨🇧🇷 The release clause included into Matheus Cunha’s new deal will be available for £62.5m.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 7, 2025
It’s confirmed and open to being triggered from summer 2025, as @JPercyTelegraph reports. pic.twitter.com/nxqlaOHgqq
Cunha hasn't really committed to Wolves for the long haul despite signing a new deal. Why? Well, Fabrizio Romano is one of several to confirm that the enigmatic forward's contract now includes a £62.5m release clause active from the start of the summer transfer window.
The Brazilian has essentially agreed to keep Wolves up this season before expecting a move away ahead of the 2025/26 campaign. Cunha will have a long list of suitors at that price tag, with clubs more reluctant to spend such money in January, and Arsenal may have a sniff around. He's not the number nine they need, but could he take the burden off Martin Odegaard as a playmaker all while supplying greater power at transitions?
He's not your archetypal Arteta player, as I noted, but the boss has to start embracing individualism as a means of emboldening the collective.
The club has to go big after a poor summer in 2024 and a sleepy winter to kick off the new year. Funds will be allocated towards getting the Martin Zubimendi deal over the line and finally acquiring their number nine for the long haul, but could there be enough left in the purse to bring in a player like Cunha, too?