‘Aston Villa making Matheus Cunha move as Jhon Duran undergoes medical’
Aston Villa will step up their efforts to sign Wolves star Matheus Cunha after Jhon Duran’s departure, according to the club’s former scout.
Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected at Villa Park and also worked as the chief scout at Man United and Blackburn, exclusively told Football Insider that the 25-year-old is seen as a key target for Unai Emery’s side.
Now, the Mail has claimed the striker is undergoing a medical in London ahead of a £64.3million move to Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Nassr, where he will link up with Cristiano Ronaldo.
As a result, Villa are expected to enter the market in search of a new forward to provide competition and add strength in depth behind Ollie Watkins.
Watkins had also been the subject of a bid from Arsenal in the last few days, but is expected to remain at Villa Park as a result of Duran’s departure.
However, the Colombian’s imminent departure is expected to force Villa’s recruitment team to accelerate their efforts in the closing stages of the window, with Cunha on their radar.
Aston Villa backed to sign Wolves star Matheus Cunha this month
Cunha has been subject to plenty of speculation in recent weeks following a breakdown in talks with Wolves over a new contract and Vitor Pereira’s public criticism.
Brown, who has a wealth of experience in top-level player recruitment after over a decade at Man United during their most successful period, insisted that the Brazilian would be a “great fit” for Villa and backed his former club to make a move.
“Cunha is a very decent player,” he told Football Insider.
“Usually, teams who are down the bottom of the table are likely to lose players because the player is keen to get out and move up the league.
“I think Cunha could play in a lot of Premier League sides, so it doesn’t surprise me that there’s interest in him from Aston Villa.
“We’ve been talking about Duran’s future as well, so if he does leave, Villa are going to need to find a replacement for him.
“It could be a busy end to the window for them.
“That would make a lot of sense, since they’ve been looking at Cunha as a key target, to bring him in as a replacement for Duran because they still want that depth with Watkins there too.
“I wouldn’t be shocked to see him make that move before the window closes.”
In other news, Villa work on two defender deals after Tyrone Mings update.
For more Aston Villa news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.