'One to watch' - transfer verdict given on £63m Wolves sensation as Arsenal and Man United eye summer raid

One of the biggest transfer stories of the January transfer window concerned the future of Wolves striker Matheus Cunha, with a number of teams reportedly interested in signing the Brazilian before he penned a new contract with the Old Gold – but a new report suggests that he may not stay at Molineux much longer regardless.

The former Atletico Madrid forward was linked with several Premier League sides after talks over a new deal with Wolves stalled in the new year, but he eventually committed his future to the club by signing a contract that keeps him in the Midlands until 2029.

That contract, however, comes with a release clause, and former Manchester United scout Mick Brown has told football news website Football Insider that he still believes Cunha is “likely to leave Wolves in the summer” as a result.

£62.5m clause may not deter big sides

The minimum fee release clause in Cunha’s new deal is reportedly worth £62.5m, but Football Insider claim that will “not deter” some of the Premier League’s bigger sides from making a bid for a proven top-flight goalscorer.

The 25-year-old forward has already scored 12 goals in the league this season despite Wolves’ struggles and has also notched up four assists. Only six players in the Premier League have scored more this season, and that impressive track record means that he will remain on the shortlists of some of England’s wealthier sides.

Brown said that despite the size of the release clause, he doesn’t “think that means [Cunha] will be staying at Wolves for much longer” although he notes that “the clause has probably shrunk the market in terms of who can afford to pay the money they’re asking for and who can tempt him away.”

He suggests that Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea, all of whom are expected to be in the market for new strikers in the summer, are all liable to be interested. Arsenal were heavily linked with Cunha over the course of January, but no concrete bid emerged as the Gunners instead launched a failed attempt to sign Ollie Watkins. Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa were also reported to have been interested in Cunha over the winter.

Why Wolves could be forced to sell Cunha come the summer

The report further suggests that despite the new contract that Cunha eventually signed, Wolves may be forced to consider selling him in order to comply with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules, which will remain in place for the 2025/26 season after clubs failed to reach an agreement over a proposed replacement.

Football Insider’s article alleges that there are “growing concerns” at the club about the potential need to sell star players such as Cunha and midfielder Joao Gomes in order to make ends meet.

In other news, Vitor Pereira has provided an update on the condition of defender Emmanuel Agbadou, who was substituted during the 2-1 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday with an apparent injury, and provided information about the fitness of Rodrigo Gomes and Sam Johnstone, who both missed out.