Liverpool is among the clubs to have been linked with a move for Wolves forward Matheus Cunha. And the Brazilian has been forced into a U-turn on comments he made during the international break.
“We are close to achieving our goal (of staying up),” Cunha was quoted as saying while he was away on international duty. “But I have made it clear that I need to take the next step. I want to fight for titles for big things. I have potential.”
However, after a backlash from Wolves fans, Cunha has taken to social media to clarify what he meant by that statement. He insists that it wasn’t intended in the way it sounds despite the chances of a summer exit seeming high.
“I’ve come to talk about the noise about my name,” he wrote. “I don’t think people have the correct interpretation. The point was about Wolves, to show everyone how happy I am to play here, to play for this team and these teammates, and to give back all the love they give to me.
“Like ambitious players, we want to play for something more. To put this club to another level and me and my teammates will give our all to achieve this goal. I want to say ‘thank you’ for the support.”
Arsenal has been most heavily linked with a move for Cunha this summer. His new contract, signed in January, contains a release clause worth around $80 million (£63 million).
(Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
“I had a lot of offers (to leave in January) but I wouldn’t feel well if I had done it,” he recently told The Guardian. “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.”
Arsenal has just appointed Andrea Berta, the sporting director who signed Cunha for Atletico Madrid in 2021. With Kai Havertz struggling to deliver as its number nine, the North London club might need an alternative when the season ends.
As for Liverpool, the need for an upgrade on Darwin Nunez is clear. Cunha’s disciplinary record would be a concern, though. He has been sent off twice this season and is currently in the middle of a four-game ban.
Liverpool.com says: Cunha is a great player when he is playing well but discipline has to come into the equation. If you are spending $80 million on a striker, you need him to be available all of the time. In part, that means a strong injury history. It also means not being given red cards for completely losing your head.
