Wolverhampton Wanderers have announced their first signing for the January transfer window, bringing in forward Matheus Cunha from Atletico Madrid.
The 23-year-old Brazilian will join Wolves on loan for the rest of the season once the window opens on 1 January and once he has received a work permit. His move will automatically become a permanent deal until 2027, should certain clauses be triggered
Cunha played 11 matches for Atletico this season, but only started three times. He has eight Brazil caps, but missed out on their FIFA World Cup 2022 squad despite winning the 2020 Olympic gold with them.
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The first signing of Julen Lopetegui's reign started at Sion, in Switzerland, before moving to the German Bundesliga in July 2018, where he played for RB Leipzig and then Hertha Berlin from January 2020.
Cunha moved to Atletico in the summer of 2021.
"I feel that he is a very complete forward," Lopetegui told the club's official website. “He has a good condition and good skills, not only technically, but physically, because this is England and in the Premier League you have to be very combative if you want to survive."
Lopetegui's team, who are bottom of the table, return to action on Boxing Day at Everton.
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“The situation I’ve come into is not the best one," Cunho told wolves.co.uk. "We need to take a little bit more points.
"But I believe in the club, I believe a lot in the coach, the mentality he has and he has many things to do here in Wolverhampton with the players, but the quality of the players is unbelievable."
If Wolves can register him by midday on 3 January 2023, Cunha could make his Premier League debut when Wolves travel to Aston Villa in a West Midlands derby the next day.