'Big Step': Andrea Berta responds to £63m Man Utd setback with Arsenal transfer move
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Matheus Cunha may be on his way to Manchester United but Arsenal are not short of transfer targets in that position.
Arsenal have taken the ‘first big step’ towards the signing of Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres this summer in a week that has seen Andrea Berta handed a blow in his pursuit of one of his former Atletico Madrid stars.
The Gunners have been linked with a swoop for Gyokeres all season as the former Coventry City talisman looks destined to make the move to the Premier League. Gyokeres has plundered 47 goals in all competitions already this season and is widely regarded as one of the finest goalscorers on the continent.
Arsenal technical director Berta is making the recruitment of a talisman the priority this summer with the London side lacking the firepower necessary to challenge Liverpool in the title race this term. Injuries to Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz have underlined the need for greater options but that was evident even before those fitness blows.
Arsenal make ‘big step’ to recruit Viktor Gyokeres
Several targets have been linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium. One of those is Wolves man Matheus Cunha, who has enjoyed a head-turning season in the Premier League despite his side facing a relegation battle. The Brazilian has a £62.5 million release clause in his new contract at Molineux.
Berta signed Cunha while working at Atletico Madrid in 2021 and TBR Football had claimed that the deal-maker was still a big admirer of the forward. However, fresh reports this week have suggested that Cunha is sold on the project at Manchester United and will snub any Arsenal interest.
That’s a blow to the Gunners and, in the hours after that report, Spanish outlet Fichajes have claimed that Berta has now started negotiations with those around the player to make that transfer happen as soon as possible and avoid a bidding way. The report adds that the arrival of Gyokeres is to be seen as the start of a new era at the Emirates Stadium.
The Swedish international has a release clause of €100 million but Fichajes adds that Arsenal hope to bring him to London for a fee closer to €70 million - around £60 million - thanks to a good relationship with the player and the club.
Man Utd frontrunners to sign Wolves star Matheus Cunha
Chelsea and Manchester United are named as other clubs monitoring a move for Gyokeres. Should Berta make an Arsenal move decisive, he could return a transfer blow to Premier League rivals Manchester United after new of progress in those Cunha talks.
Former Arsenal star Julio Baptista had urged the London outfit to push forwards and sign Cunha. He told FootItalia: “People talk about Matheus Cunha, the Brazilian. He’s done incredible stuff at Wolves, so maybe he’s the player that Arsenal need.
"Arsenal need to take a look at him, I think. Cunha should definitely be on their shortlist. He has performed brilliantly in a team that has found life difficult at times this season, so you would think that at Arsenal he would score even more goals given the chances that they create and the way they dominate most games. He would also be playing with better players."
In an update on Tuesday, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano wrote on social media platform X: “More on Matheus Cunha and Man United. The feeling between player side and club side on new meeting was very positive, after project explained and terms discussed. More meetings will be needed but Man United feel they’re leading the race for Cunha, as reported yesterday.”