Aston Villa are intensifying their pursuit of Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Matheus Cunha, particularly in light of Jhon Duran's anticipated departure. This development has been underscored by Mick Brown, a former chief scout for Villa, who remains well-informed about the club's inner workings. In an exclusive interview with Football Insider, Brown highlighted Cunha as a highly coveted target for Villa's manager, Unai Emery.
Duran's situation has been a focal point of discussion this week, especially as he has voiced his dissatisfaction with the limited playing time afforded to him at Villa Park. Reports from the Mail suggest that Duran is currently undergoing a medical assessment in London, preparing for a significant transfer to Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, where he is set to join international superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. The transfer fee is reported to be around £64.3 million.
With Duran's exit appearing imminent, Aston Villa are likely to actively seek a new striker to bolster their squad and provide competition for Ollie Watkins. Despite recent interest from Arsenal in Watkins, it is expected that he will remain at Villa Park following Duran's departure.
The potential transfer of Duran is anticipated to accelerate Villa's recruitment efforts as the transfer window draws to a close, with Cunha emerging as a primary target. Speculation surrounding Cunha's future has intensified, particularly after contract extension negotiations with Wolves fell through amid public criticisms from manager Vitor Pereira.
Brown, who possesses extensive experience in elite player recruitment from his time at Manchester United during their successful era, believes that Cunha would be a valuable addition to Villa. "Cunha is a very decent player," he stated. "Usually, teams who are down the bottom of the table are likely to lose players because the player is keen to get out and move up the league. I think Cunha could play in a lot of Premier League sides, so it doesn't surprise me that there's interest in him from Aston Villa."
He further emphasised the necessity for Villa to secure a replacement for Duran, noting, "We've been talking about Duran's future as well, so if he does leave, Villa are going to need to find a replacement for him. It could be a busy end to the window for them. That would make a lot of sense, since they've been looking at Cunha as a key target, to bring him in as a replacement for Duran because they still want that depth with Watkins there too. I wouldn't be shocked to see him make that move before the window closes."
In addition to their pursuit of Cunha, Aston Villa are reportedly exploring two defensive signings following an update on Tyrone Mings' condition. As the transfer window approaches its conclusion, Villa fans will be keenly watching for developments on both fronts, eager to see how the club strengthens its squad for the challenges ahead.