Arsenal favourites to sign £62m Premier League star

It’s been a testing season for Arsenal this year.

Mikel Arteta’s side might still be in the Champions League, but their hopes of finally winning the Premier League are all but over.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom, as it’s unlikely that they’ll have to deal with as many major injuries next season, and it now looks as if former Atlético Madrid Sporting Director Andrea Berta will be joining the club to help get some big-money moves over the line in the summer.

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In fact, recent reports have identified one of the most exciting attackers in England as the Italian’s primary target, someone who could be the Gunners’ own Antoine Griezmann.

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Arsenal have been linked with a plethora of strikers in recent windows. Last summer it was Benjamin Sesko but he decided to remain at RB Leipzig, penning a new contract.

Then, in January, there were regular rumours involving Newcastle forward Alexander Isak but his £150m asking price is a major deterrent. So, who will they turn to next?

Well, according to a recent report from Spain, Berta has already identified his primary target for the summer transfer window: Matheus Cunha.

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The report has revealed that while the Brazilian star remains a name on the radar for plenty of Premier League clubs, Arsenal are favourites for his signature given that the Italian has a prior relationship with him, forged when he signed for Atlético.

The story does not mention a potential transfer fee, but according to Sky Sports, the Wolverhampton Wanderers ace has a release clause of around £62m in his new contract.

It would be a costly transfer to get over the line, but given Cunha’s immense ability, one well worth pursuing, especially as he could be Arsenal’s Griezmann.

Why Cunha would be Arsenal’s own Griezmann

So, before we get into why Cunha would be a great signing in his own right, let’s examine why he could also be seen as Arsenal’s own Griezmann.

Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann during the warm up before the match

The comparison primarily stems from FBref, which compares players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and in this instance, has concluded that the Frenchman is the most similar forward to the Brazilian.

The best way to see where this comparison has come from is to look at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including, but not limited to, expected goals plus assists, goals per shot, key passes, crosses into the penalty area, clearances, goal-creating actions and more, all per 90.

Cunha & Griezmann
Statistics per 90	Cunha	Griezmann
Expected G+As	0.56	0.53
Goals per Shot	0.15	0.21
Key Passes	1.81	1.77
Crosses into the Penalty Area	0.38	0.37
Goal-Creating Actions	0.38	0.47
Switches	0.46	0.42
Clearances	0.92	0.88
Carries	30.0	32.7
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Season

However, it’s not just the statistical similarities or the fact that they have both been signed by Berta before that would make the “unbelievable” ace, as dubbed by journalist Alex Richards, the Gunners version of the Frenchman.

The other key characteristic he shares with the Atleti star is his positional versatility.

For example, since moving to Wolves, the 25-year-old has played 39 games as a centre-forward, 21 in attacking midfield, 12 as a second striker, three at left wing and one at right wing.

Moreover, as he’s shown in games against Manchester United, Fulham and Liverpool this season, he’s more than capable of making things happen all on his own.

Finally, away from any comparisons to the elite of European football, the Old Gold’s talisman has also been able to rack up a healthy tally of 15 goals and four assists in just 29 appearances.

That means the former Hertha Berlin star is averaging a goal involvement every 1.52 games for a relegation-threatened side.