Nottingham Forest’s pursuit of Matheus Cunha has dominated the headlines since the rumour first appeared, with a key detail on the likelihood of the deal now revealed.
Cunha was linked with Forest on Tuesday, becoming the latest in a string of forward options that Nuno Espirito Santo is looking at to bolster his side in January.
The deal would certainly be an ambitious one for Evangelos Marinakis, with Forest preparing a club-record bid for Cunha to tempt Wolves into selling their star player.
Wolves are insistent on keeping Cunha to aid their relegation battle but given Forest and Arsenal’s interest, it may be hard for them to deny the Brazilian a move to a side challenging for European football.
The Forest manager has expectedly kept quiet regarding any transfer rumours as Espirito Santo responded cautiously to the Cunha links in his press conference ahead of Forest’s trip to Bournemouth on Saturday.
It doesn’t seem as if the rumour will go away until the window shuts, though, with the latest update on Cunha’s personal preference on a move offering a clearer outlook for Forest.
Matheus Cunha leans towards Arsenal over Nottingham Forest
Given that Marinakis wants to sign a new striker, Cunha would naturally find importance in the Forest squad but a recent report has suggested his preference is a move to London with Arsenal.
A GIVEMESPORT report said: “Matheus Cunha’s preference is to become the latest addition to Arteta’s squad despite the Wolverhampton Wanderers man also being actively pursued by Nottingham Forest.
“Wolves have been adamant that they will not cash in ahead of the transfer deadline due to fears of the Brazilian’s exit derailing their attempts to avoid relegation, but he is eager to link up with a Gunners side battling for Premier League glory and flying high in the Champions League.”
Evidently, Forest are unable to compete with Arsenal’s offering of Champions League football this season, with any reward for Espirito Santo’s remarkable season at the City Ground becoming a factor in the summer window.
However, the report continues to reveal other aspects of Arsenal’s transfer plans in January, details that the Forest owner could well capitalise on.
Arsenal’s other January plans could benefit Nottingham Forest
The report also details Arsenal’s interest in Slovakian forward Benjamin Sesko, a pursuit that could inadvertently benefit Forest’s attempts to sign Cunha.
According to the report: “Arsenal are confident that Sesko wants to join from Leipzig,” but not in the current window, as: “he is not on course to agitate for a move [in January] as he has a sense of loyalty to the Bundesliga outfit.”
Clearly, then, Arsenal will be very keen to reignite their interest in Sesko when the summer window comes around, suggesting that a move for Cunha is more of a stop-gap than a permanent solution.
Given Forest’s need for another attacker alongside Morgan Gibbs-White’s friendship with Cunha, a move to the City Ground may actually be the better decision for the Brazilian in the long term.
If Marinakis is willing to bid a club-record fee for Cunha, his reported preference for Arsenal shouldn’t put him off with the knowledge that Forest can guarantee a more sustained opportunity for game time than Arsenal could if they capture Sesko.
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