Nottingham Forest’s pursuit of Matheus Cunha has grown even more tricky following the latest update on the Wolves player’s potential departure in January.
It’s only been a few days since Forest’s interest in Cunha became public, but the narrative has already taken several unexpected turns.
Forest are contemplating a club-record proposal for Cunha despite the fact that Wolves have stated that Cunha is not for sale in the January window.
Then came the extra issue of rivalry for the Brazilian’s signing, as Cunha prefers to join Arsenal over Nuno Espirito Santo’s side. Mikel Arteta intimated that Arsenal will pursue Cunha, making the transaction appear unattainable for Forest.
Another twist came fast as Wolves slapped a £60 million price tag on Cunha, substantially lower than the previously reported £80 million, keeping Evangelos Marinakis and Forest in the running.
However, as expected, the situation has taken another turn, with senior Wolves sources now stating their thoughts on maintaining their star player.
Senior Wolves sources break quiet about Matheus Cunha rumors.
According to writer Alex Crook on talkSPORT’s Transfer Notebook show, sources within Wolves appear to be pretty sure that Cunha will remain with the club in January.
Crook stated, “They (Forest) have been credited with an interest in Matheus Cunha at Wolves. I believe the interest is genuine, but they are not convinced that they will be able to close a deal for Cunha this month.
“I spoke with someone senior at Wolves a few days ago, and they said we’re not concerned about this scenario since he has two and a half years left on his contract. We offered a new contract to reward him for his performance this season, but if he does not sign, we will not sell him during this window.
In what was certainly a harsh blow for Forest, Wolves’ stance on a potential transfer for Cunha is understandable considering his importance to their team.
In his pre-match press conference on Friday, Vitor Pereira stated that Cunha was committed to Wolves, and whether this is true or not isn’t especially relevant if Wolves aren’t under pressure to sell the striker.
When examining Cunha’s words at the start of the window, it appears that it would take a massive push from him to break the mood at Wolves to see him at the City Ground in January, which may put off the Forest owner.
Evangelos Marinakis’ earlier comments may effect the Matheus Cunha deal.
Speaking at the opening of the transfer season, Marinakis made it clear how he intended the January period to go.
Marinakis stressed the Forest squad’s cohesiveness in January, thus welcoming Cunha in light of the Brazilian’s refusal to play for his current club may contradict these aims.
Marinakis has made no secret of his desire to buy a striker for Forest, but Espirito Santo’s side’s amazing record is due in part to the unity among the Forest group, which might be jeopardized with the wrong signing.
Cunha’s 10 Premier League goals would significantly boost Espirito Santo’s team, providing the required support for Chris Wood up front.
However, Marinakis must consider whether to risk contradicting his words at the start of the window for the sake of the additional goals Cunha would give.
