Arsenal have been handed a boost in their reported pursuit of Matheus Cunha, who has spoken of his desire to leave Wolverhampton Wanderers to fight for titles.
The Gunners return to the pitch following the end of the March international break on Tuesday against Fulham at the Emirates in the Premier League.
However, even if Mikel Arteta‘s side win they will only close the gap to league-leaders Liverpool to nine points, and it is difficult to see them overcoming a nine-point advantage with eight games left to play.
The Londoners will almost certainly reinforce in the summer transfer window to ensure they do not miss out on another Premier League title, and speaking to The Guardian, Wolves attacker Cunha has given Arsenal fans hope that he could join the club, saying: “I had a lot of offers (to leave in January) but I wouldn’t feel well if I had done it.
“Some things you can’t control but I couldn’t leave the club in the middle of the season, in a difficult situation, in the relegation zone.
“Now, we’re close to achieving our goal [of staying up]. But I’ve made it clear that I need to take the next step. I want to fight for titles, for big things.”
Cunha signed a four-and-a-half year deal in February his new contract also contained a release clause of £62.5million, hinting at his desire to leave Molineux in the summer.
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Can Cunha push Arsenal to the title?
There is an argument that Arsenal would have been much more competitive in the title race had so many of their star players not suffered injuries.
Talisman Bukayo Saka is reportedly in line to feature against Fulham following months out due to a hamstring injury, but forwards Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus will miss the rest of the season.
Cunha would at the very least provide the Gunners with substantially more depth in the forward line, leaving Arteta in a much better position to cope should another injury crisis plague his team.
The Brazilian has managed to scored 13 goals and provide four assists in the top flight this season, and his numbers are impressive considering his team are currently fourth last in 17th place.
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Is Cunha the right fit at Arsenal?
It should be noted that the 25-year-old has significantly overperformed his xG tally of 6.7, and it remains to be seen if he can continue to outperform the metric.
Additionally, Cunha has played in a number of positions for Wolves – both out wide on the left and through the middle – and his arrival at the Emirates could cause a selection dilemma for Arteta considering he already has Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard at the club.
The Brazilian’s reported release clause could also prove problematic if the Gunners have any ambition of signing Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, who will likely only be available for a fee significantly in excess of £100m.
