Everton never had a genuine chance of landing former Atletico Madrid misfit Matheus Cunha with Premier League rivals Wolves triggering the £44 million release clause in his contract, according to The Athletic.
On Thursday afternoon, Fabrizio Romano broke the news that Wolves had opted to turn Cunha’s loan into a permanent transfer after just three appearances, one start and no goals under Julen Lopetegui.
The silky forward only arrived on an initial loan deal a couple of weeks ago but has wasted no time getting his feet under the table, making an excellent first impression while setting up Raul Jimenez’s goal in the EFL Cup quarter-final clash with Nottingham Forest.
Wolves sign Matheus Cunha and he was too expensive for Everton
Relegation rivals Everton, in contrast, can only dream of splashing out over £40 million on Brazil internationals these days. There is just one point and one place separating Everton from Wolves in the Premier League table; the former 18th, the latter 19th.
But while Wolves are dining out on Michelin star meals – Cunha could be joined by Mario Lemina, Felipe and even Spain star Pablo Sarabia – Everton continue to scrabble around for crumbs. After so many years of heavy and largely disastrous spending, the purse-strings are being tightly drawn at Goodison Park.
The Athletic point out that Cunha was a player also on Everton’s radar. Once Wolves signalled their intention to pay a fee in the £40 million bracket, however, the Toffees were left with about as much of a shout as Adam Sandler on Oscar night. The days of such eye-watering additions are, for now at least, a thing of the past.
“He’s improving step by step,” Lopetegui says of Cunha. “The most important thing is that he’s a complete player. We can use him in different situations.
“He’s a forward and it depends on our way to play. He can play as a striker, or a second striker or on the wing. We will see and we will change him in different situations. He’s a good player who has good skills and strengths for the team. He’s very balanced physically and technically. We’ll try to take advantage of that.”
Everton eyeing bargains
According to The Times, Everton are looking at short-term loan deals this month. And if purchase clauses are to be included, they will need to be much lower than the one in Cunha’s Wolves contract. Arnaut Danjuma of Villarreal is one name to keep an eye on. Lorient’s Dango Ouattara another.
Anthony Elanga of Manchester United is potentially a more realistic target. Though Erik ten Hag may opt to keep the Swede at Old Trafford after Cody Gakpo joined Liverpool.
With the FA Cup, EFL Cup and Europa League to come, United will need all the depth they can get.
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