Chelsea and Arsenal set to suffer blow in race to sign 25-year-old Premier League star: Reports

Chelsea and Arsenal have fallen behind the wagon in the race to sign Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers. The 25-year-old attacker has been relentlessly pursued by fellow Premier League club Nottingham Forest, who, according to TEAMTalk (via The Hard Tackle), have the upper hand at the moment.

The Brazil international has been subject to a lot of interest from various clubs in the ongoing winter transfer window. However, Portuguese coach Nuno Espirito Santo, who has been behind Nottingham Forest's stunning performances this season, is a big admirer of his, and wants to bag him at any cost.

Forest, who are ranked third in the Premier League table with 44 points to their name, are in with a serious chance of challenging for the title this season. Cunha, who has scored 10 goals across all competitions this season, could help him in this pursuit, as well as cementing a UEFA Champions League spot for next season.

Santo, who has previously managed Wolves, might still have good relations with the club, and can use this to convince them to sell Cunha. The Brazilian's contract runs till the summer of 2027, and could well command a hefty price. The report also mentions that talks between the two clubs is at an advanced stage. With Arsenal and Chelsea also interested, his stock has soared immensely this season.

Chelsea and Arsenal were highly interested in Matheus Cunha for his versatility

Chelsea's interest in Cunha is understandable as they are keen on boosting their centre-forward options. Incumbent Nicolas Jackson has not been in the richest veins of form, having scored nine goals in 22 appearances across all competitions. Cunha's arrival would certainly give them a lot of depth in the attacking department. Marc Guiu too is yet to earn Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca's trust, with the Blues currently sitting fourth in the league table.

Similarly, Arsenal became interested in him soon after it was revealed that Gabriel Jesus had sustained an ACL injury and was ruled out for the rest of the season. Jesus' recovery might take the best part of a year, and this would leave the Gunners well short of a target man in the final third.

With Cunha doing well both as a striker and a 'number ten' as the central attacking midfielder, Arsenal would have hoped to use his versatility to good effect (he also has four assists this season). With Bukayo Saka also ruled out with a hamstring injury at least till February, their hopes of challenging for the title might take a big blow.

Ranked second in the league table with the same number of points as Forest (44), Arsenal can also challenge for the title and cement their spot in the Champions League next season. However, if they miss out on bagging Cunha, the Gunners will have to look for other options to bolster their attack.