Leeds United could look to the January transfer window to strengthen their team for the second half of the season and now a reliable source has delivered an update on a potential target.
What’s the latest?
Leeds have been linked with a move for Atletico Madrid striker Matheus Cunha and now journalist Pete O’Rourke has weighed in on the player’s potential move to Elland Road.
O’Rourke told GIVEMESPORT:
“He is probably a more recognised name than Raphinha was before he came to Leeds.
“Raphinha wasn’t in the Brazil squad before he came to Leeds and he then broke into the international set-up while he was at Leeds. He was a bit unknown when he came to Leeds from France, but I think Matheus Cunha has obviously got a bigger reputation than Raphinha had at that time.
“He’s played for Brazil and he was a big-money signing when he joined Atletico Madrid as well.”
It would be a risky move
There is no doubt that Jesse Marsch would have been spending the World Cup break looking for ways to improve his team’s performances to ensure they avoid another difficult relegation scrap over the rest of the season.
Leeds are currently 15th in the Premier League table after 14 outings and despite scoring more goals than Manchester United so far, the side are just two points clear of the relegation zone.
Although the Whites are not currently struggling for goal contributions it is clear Marsch is keen to strengthen and add depth to key areas of their squad with players who fit his philosophy at Elland Road.
As a result, the signing of Cunha – who was previously valued at £42m – makes sense from the manager’s perspective as the Brazilian striker worked with Marsch at RB Leipzig and is obviously a player he believes in, however, it could be a risky move considering his more recent form at Atletico Madrid.
Indeed, the ace – who was dubbed “unpredictable” by Maurizio Jacobacci – has certainly lived up to that billing this term. He has not scored a single goal over 11 La Liga appearances this season, whilst averaging just 13.3 touches, 0.5 key passes, 0.7 shots on target and 0.5 successful dribbles per game.
In fact, Cunha has netted just seven times over 54 appearances since his arrival at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in the summer of 2021 with a goal contribution every 255 minutes so far, proving that he is not a consistent or reliable threat in front of goal.
With Patrick Bamford’s injury woes continuing to plague him and the squad, signing a reliable player simply must be top of the agenda for Victor Orta. Unfortunately, the Atletico frontman doesn’t tick that box.
With that being said, the signing of Cunha does not seem like a worthwhile investment and if Marsch is considering a move for a striker he must identify a more prolific and clinical attacker to bolster the centre-forward position.
