Premier League rivals set to beat Arsenal in transfer race for £63 million forward who Mikel Arteta doesn’t like anyway

Add as preferred source on Google

Arsenal have already begun mapping out their transfer plans ahead of the summer window.

The Gunners are keen to add a striker to Mikel Arteta’s ranks, with Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz both suffering from injury issues.

Alexander Isak is Arsenal’s dream signing, while the likes of Benjamin Sesko, Viktor Gyokeres and Hugo Ekitike have also been heavily linked with a switch to N5.

However, the North Londoners may be forced to look at alternatives to these options due to the competition from other clubs for them.

• READ MORE: £70m Arsenal transfer target who Andrea Berta loves breaks silence on future, he’s open to move

Manchester United leading the race for Arsenal transfer target Matheus Cunha

Matheus Cunha was heavily linked with Arsenal in January, but the Gunners were unable to get a deal over the line for the Brazilian.

Signing a new contract at Wolves in the winter, the deal included a £63 million release clause that comes into play this summer.

Cunha remains on Arsenal’s radar and is viewed as a viable alternative to the other mooted targets.

However, it appears Manchester United are now leading the race to land the 25-year-old, with Fabrizio Romano revealing that the Red Devils and the East Midlanders are locked in talks over a deal for the player.

United are confident they can land Wolves’ talisman, meaning Arsenal may have to turn their attentions elsewhere.

Andrea Berta signed Cunha for Atletico Madrid back in 2021, and is said to be a huge admirer of the former RB Leipzig man.

However, Arteta harbours concerns about Cunha’s character, and these red flags have reportedly put the Spaniard off pursuing the player.

Matheus Cunha isn’t the right fit for Arsenal anyway

While an excellent player with a few standout attributes, Cunha wouldn’t really fit in at Arsenal.

The Gunners are crying out for a an out-and-out striker, someone who lives inside the opposition box and gets on the end of moves.

Cunha simply isn’t that, with the Brazil international preferring to drop deep and drive with the ball in between the lines.

Most of his shots come from range rather than inside the box, and he thrives in transition – space Arsenal aren’t often afforded by their opponents.

Not boasting enough midfield attributes to play as one of Arsenal’s eights, and much less effective out wide, there isn’t an obvious place in the North Londoners’ team for Cunha.