Wolverhampton Wanderers showed just what they are capable of during their 4-2 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend.
Of course, it was just Spurs, but Vitor Pereira has a talented bunch of players at his disposal and if he could keep them ahead of next season, might a top-half finish be on the cards?
One thing that Pereira will be hoping is Matheus Cunha stays at the Old Gold for their assault up the Premier League table in 2025/26.
Given the interest in him, though, that is looking fairly unlikely.
The latest on Matheus Cunha’s future
The Brazilian is enjoying an excellent campaign, summed up with his goal against Spurs on Sunday.
With the Molineux side 3-2 ahead and Spurs pushing for an equaliser in the dying minutes, Cunha netted the clincher that saw the club take home all three points.
In the process of doing so, he ran over to the Wolves crowd and appeared to apologise for his actions over the weekend.
Indeed, the forward landed himself in hot water after an Instagram post, which he later deleted, ended up in him ranting at supporters.
Well, he responded in the best possible way on Sunday by letting his football do the talking. No action will be taken by the club, as confirmed by Pereira post-game at the weekend.
“I didn’t speak to Cunha about the social media post.” the Wolves boss admitted. “I let him do the talking on the pitch. He’s committed, he’s a special player. He needs the energy of love. He went to the pitch not to think of himself, but the team. I understand the fans, but he’s part of our family.”
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Overall, Cunha has scored 16 times and grabbed four assists for the club in 2024/25, so without his goal involvements, they would likely be in the relegation places, such is his importance.
When he signed a new deal, a release clause of £62.5m was inserted, and it looks like it could be activated this summer, especially with Manchester United keen on a move for him.
This money could go a long way to securing a replacement; no doubt about that.
But, is there perhaps someone who has become more important than the former Atlético Madrid star?
Wolves star is now more important than Cunha
Should Cunha leave for big money, Jorgen Strand Larsen will be ready to slip into his shoes and take on the mantle of Wolves’ talisman.
Signed initially on a loan deal, the Norwegian made the deal permanent at a fee worth around £23m in January as certain conditions were met.
Since scoring against Southampton midway through March, Larsen has now found the back of the net in four consecutive Premier League games.
It’s safe to say he’s in the best form of his career at Molineux.
|
Comparing Cunha and Larsen in the PL this season |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Metric |
Cunha |
Larsen |
|
Goals |
14 |
12 |
|
Assists |
4 |
2 |
|
Key passes per game |
1.7 |
0.6 |
|
Big chances created |
12 |
5 |
|
Shots per game |
3.3 |
1.6 |
|
Touches per game |
53.3 |
23.3 |
His 12 goals and three assists are just five goal involvements off Cunha’s mark. With more responsibility, he could turn into a vital player for the Old Gold next term. That’s a certainty.
He ranks second in terms of goals scored in the top flight for Wolves (12), while also ranking second for shots on target (1.1) per game and fourth for big chances created (four), behind Cunha in all these metrics.
Journalist Josh Bunting was impressed with his abilities way back at the start of the season, saying: “His movement off the ball really stands out to me, sharp on the ball.”
The previous few months have certainly proved that the club were right to secure his signature permanently, especially for a fee in the region of £23m.
If he begins next season the way he is ending the current one, Larsen will undoubtedly become the club’s most important focal point.
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