Arsenal are reportedly pressing ahead with a deal to sign Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers this month but will face stiff resistance from the Old Gold.
The Gunners have been left short in attack due to recent injuries to Bukayo Saka and Raheem Sterling, the former of whom will be out for two months after undergoing a hamstring operation.
Seventeen-year-old Ethan Nwaneri did an admirable job of filling in for Saka in the 3-1 win over Brentford on New Year's Day, where the resurrected Gabriel Jesus also scored his sixth goal in four games.
However, Mikel Arteta will exercise extreme caution over Nwaneri due to his age, and his only offensive options on the bench against the Bees were Leandro Trossard and academy graduate Ismeal Kabia.
The Spaniard has repeatedly affirmed that his side will try to close a transfer opportunity this month if one presents itself, although the vast majority of their primary attacking targets will likely be unattainable this month.
Arsenal face 'major stumbling block' in Cunha chase
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That list includes the in-form Cunha, but Football Insider claims that Arsenal will nevertheless try to poach the Brazilian from Molineux this month and are pushing to get a deal over the line.
Despite Wolves' lowly 17th-placed standing in the Premier League table, Cunha has excelled on an individual level with 10 goals and four assists from 19 top-flight appearances this season.
The former Atletico Madrid man has also been deployed in a variety of forward positions, meaning that he could act as a direct Saka replacement at Arsenal and also offer an alternative option on the left and through the middle.
However, the report adds that Wolves are understandably reluctant to let Cunha leave midway through the season while they are embroiled in a relegation scrap, presenting the Gunners with a 'major stumbling block'.
Cunha also has two-and-a-half years left to run on his contract with Wolves, who paid €50m (£41.5m) to sign him permanently from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2023 after his successful loan spell.
The 25-year-old's big-money Molineux arrival last summer made him the club's most expensive signing of all time, eclipsing the £39.3m that they paid Sporting Lisbon for Matheus Nunes.
Which Arsenal targets are more realistic than Cunha?
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Arsenal are not complete strangers to shelling out hefty fees for attackers during the January transfer window, memorably making Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang their then-club record signing midway through the 2017-18 season.
However, a January swoop for Cunha will undoubtedly be more difficult to pull off as Wolves scrap for survival, and the West Midlands side can certainly demand a sizeable profit on the £41.5m they shelled out for his services.
Paris Saint-Germain's Randal Kolo Muani on loan would be a more realistic deal for Arsenal and one that they will supposedly be offered the chance to complete, but the Frenchman's output is nowhere near Cunha's this season.
The Gunners have also been tipped to make a loan approach for Real Madrid's Arda Guler, but whether the Champions League holders would be prepared to sanction a temporary exit is unclear.
Ben Knapton
