Wolves boss Gary O’Neil is certain that star striker Mattheus Cunha will stay with the club in January despite reported interest from Manchester United.
Having impressed during an initial loan, Cunha joined Wolves on a permanent basis in the summer of 2023 and has gone from strength to strength since then.
A brace against Fulham last weekend continued his rich vein of form, with the Brazilian registering five goals and three assists in his last six Premier League games.
Such output has seen the 25-year-old, who has two and a half years remaining on his current contract, linked with a potential move to United in the coming months.
However, O’Neil is confident that the club will rebuff any bids for the striker in January as they look to put further distance between themselves and the bottom three.
‘Matheus definitely won’t leave in January,’ O’Neil said in his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s clash with Bournemouth.
‘Our relationship and his understanding of what we’re trying to do here is exceptionally good, so I don’t foresee there being any problems at all in January with Matheus Cunha.
‘Contract wise, I’ll leave that to the club. We have a real focus, Matheus included, on tomorrow’s game and making sure we’re in the best shape to beat Bournemouth.’
Asked about Cunha’s marked improvement since his arrrival, O’Neil added: ‘He’s worked very hard and he’s a really humble guy.
‘When I first came, he was big enough and open enough to accept the gaps that he had in his game, and then he’s just gone head-on into trying to tackle them and trying to piece the bits together.
‘The most important bit in any footballer is quality, and that’s the bit he has in abundance.
‘All the other stuff you can work on with him, around positioning and mentality to defend and get back under the ball – all that is workable.
‘What you can’t help players with is the quality that they have and the understanding that they have, and Matheus is top level at that.
‘We love having him here, he’s an exceptional player, he’s incredibly important to the group and to the football club, and I look forward to working with him for as long as possible.’
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