'Lucrative offer' imminent for Wolves star Matheus Cunha amid Man Utd interest as Aston Villa 'close in' on £10m January deal

The 2024/25 Premier League campaign has been far from perfect for either Wolves or Aston Villa, but there are signs of improvement from both going into the busy winter period. Having failed to win any of their first 10, Gary O’Neil’s side have claimed victory in their last two and pulled out of the relegation zone, while Villa are getting enough results to stay within touching distance of those European spots.

But issues are clear at both Molineux and Villa Park, with both clubs eyeing the January transfer window as their earliest opportunity to address them - although for one, the mid-season window might be more about keeping talent, rather than acquiring it. With all that in mind, BirminghamWorld has rounded up some of the latest stories from both clubs.

Cunha latest

Wolves will go all out to keep Matheus Cunha on board with reports of a new deal being prepared. The Telegraph claim Cunha is in line for a ‘lucrative new contract’ after a string of outstanding recent performances caught the eye of Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and others.

Cunha has been talismanic for Wolves this season with four goals and three assists in his side’s four-game unbeaten run - a purple patch in a campaign that has registered 10 goal involvements altogether. But those numbers, and the performances that have accompanied them, have attracted interest with Manchester United among those keen.

O’Neil left no room for interpretation when insisting Cunha will not leave Wolves in January but club chiefs are also keen to tie the 25-year-old down for the longer-term. They now look set to initiate talks over a fresh deal which will extend the current 2027 deadline, with any summer approaches requiring an amount far more than last year’s club-record £53m sale of Matheus Nunes to Manchester City.

Villa deal close

Aston Villa look to be closing in on their first January arrival, more than a month before the window even opens. Football Insider claim Werner Bremen’s Romano Schmid is a key target for Unai Emery and ‘wouldn’t cost that much’, with previous reports suggesting he could be bought for less than £10m.

It’s been a tough first period of the campaign for Villa who have been unable to sew together the results that brought them a top-four finish last season, and Emery has been working overtime to fix those issues. A big part of the Spaniard’s plan is to recruit in January, with hope they can climb back into European contention and even qualify for the Champions League again.

Villa’s interest in Schmid is well known but Werder Bremen’s sporting director has suggested a move would only be likely in the summer. But this report suggests a move for the 24-year-old midfielder is close.