Three weeks after joining Atletico Madrid from Hertha Berlin in a £26 million deal, reported Leeds United and Everton target Matheus Cunha could be forgiven for regretting his decision to ignore the Premier League.
Because, just five days on, he was being knocked down the pecking order in the Spanish capital by the return of Atleti’s own prodigal son – Antoine Griezmann.
Atletico simply couldn’t turn down a chance to bring a modern day legend back to where he belongs following two largely miserable years in Lionel Messi’s shadow at Barcelona, signing the World Cup winner on loan with an option-to-buy clause set at just £34 million.
But where does that leave Cunha?
After all, the Brazilian prefers to strut his stuff in the same roving number ten role Griezmann made his own during his trophy-laden first spell in red and white.
Joaquin Correa, meanwhile, has enjoyed his best start to a season in Atletico colours. And that’s without mentioning Luis Suarez (Atletico’s go-to number nine) or Joao Felix, Simeone’s £103 million wonder kid.
Cunha, then, already appears to be the odd one out.
He’s played just 29 minutes so far in La Liga and was left on the bench, even when Atletico were desperate for a goal, during the midweek Champions League stalemate with FC Porto.
Furthermore, Atletico have a long and worrying history when it comes to signing gifted forwards and dumping them in the cold soon after. For proof, see Mario Mandzukic, Raul Jimenez, Rafael Santos Borre, Luciano Vietto, Jackson Martinez, Kevin Gameiro, Diogo Jota, Nikola Kalinic, Alvaro Morata and Ivan Saponjic.
Cunha could have played a leading role at Leeds rather than a bit part at Atletico
To think a player labelled “extraordinary” during his time in Germany and compared to the legendary Samuel Eto’o could have been a leading man in the Premier League; Everton’s Leonardo DiCaprio or Leeds United’s jogo bonito Brad Pitt.
Instead, he may be consigned to life on the fringes at Atletico; an underused Harvey Keitel in a squad chock full of stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Bruce Willis and John Travolta.
Then again, Cunha could do worse than take some inspiration from Willis’s Butch Coolidge as he looks to prove he does, in fact, deserve a leading role in Simeone’s Wanda Metropolitano blockbuster.
“That’s how you’re gonna beat ’em, Butch. They keep underestimating you.”
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
