Report: Aston Villa make their move for 'extraordinary' £30m Arsenal attacking target

By Giuseppe Labellarte

Aston Villa and Arsenal are just two of the clubs reportedly pursuing Atletico Madrid’s Matheus Cunha.

Earlier this week, The Athletic claimed the Gunners are eyeing the Brazilian as a replacement for the injured Gabriel Jesus.

However, Goal.com has now reported that Villa have made contact with Cunha’s representatives.

The Villans have done so with a view to making an offer in the January transfer window.

‘Those enquiries are likely to prompt a conversation over his future as the transfer window approaches,’ added the report.

However, Arsenal and Villa are up against a multitude of Premier League clubs reportedly trying to land Cunha.

Liverpool, Newcastle, Chelsea, Leeds and Everton are also apparently keeping tabs on the 23-year-old.

A deal Arsenal and Aston Villa shouldn’t find too difficult

Mundo Deportivo – via Sport Witness – recently claimed that Atletico are willing to sell Cunha for €30m-35m in January (£26m-30m).

The Atletico board apparently wants to sell him to fill the ‘increasing economic hole’ that has developed in wake of their failure to reach the Champions League knockout stages.

There are ‘several players’ for whom Los Colchoneros will listen to offers. And at the front of that queue is Cunha, who is first ‘on the exit ramp’.

He has struggled this season, failing to score a single goal to date and missing out on Brazil’s World Cup squad as a result.

Despite his recent struggles in front of goal, Cunha is a superb player who would be of great use to both Mikel Arteta and Unai Emery.

The 6ft ace is hugely versatile and can play anywhere in attack.

He has been compared to Gabriel Jesus, Neymar, Anthony Martial and Roberto Firmino on Twitter.

Labelled as an ‘extraordinary‘ player by former Inter Milan ace Paolo Tramezzani, Cunha could do with a change of scenery.

And both Arsenal and Villa need him. So we’ll see what happens over the coming weeks in terms of formal approaches and beyond.