Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa has initiated moves to sign Hertha BSC star Matheus Cunha this summer as reports in recent days have indicated that the Brazilian is a player whom the Whites are keen in bringing to the Premier League this summer.
According to German publication Bild (via Sport Witness), Bielsa’s camp have already expressed their interest in signing the forward, and that a move could be on the cards after the 22-year-old received approval from Hertha to leave.
The young Brazilian has been likened to Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino, blessed with that impressive knack of getting his teammates involved on the pitch, something which has been particularly highlighted by the Bundesliga’s official website.
“Much like the former Bundesliga star, Cunha honed his skills on the streets of Brazil, giving him a one-up on defenders. He can beat them with his speed, skill or intelligence to drift from his marker, having practiced in every position across the front line.
“And much like Firmino, Cunha – even when leading the line – can be found dropping into midfield to pick up possession and link up play with teammates. It’s part of the reason why he’s such a hard attacker to defend against because more often than not, he’s not where you expect him to be.”
Cunha’s ability to drop off in between the lines is what would make his potential partnership with Patrick Bamford truly exciting to explore.
Dubbed as “something special” by former Hertha head coach Bruno Labbadia, Cunha averages an impressive 1.8 key passes and three dribbles per game, and possesses that creative quality that Bamford could thrive off. Putting those stats into context, only Raphinha averaged more key passes than Cunha in the entire Leeds squad, while no-one, not even the Brazilian, could manage his dribbles per match.
However, not unlike Raphinha, Cunha is direct and pacy, which is precisely what maestro Bielsa expects from his side given the intense pressing game that they play and how they are so deadly in transitions and counter-attacks.
Cunha’s partnership with Bamford could be an immensely tantalising one, with the Hertha star apparently having the range of attributes that make him a perfect tailor-made fit for Bielsa.