The January transfer window will soon be upon Leeds United with the Whites eager to add reinforcements to help improve their fortunes.
Leeds have enjoyed a mixed campaign so far this term, with Jesse Marsch's side sitting 15th in the table when the Premier League broke up in November for the World Cup. And there are a number of areas the Whites must address in order to avoid the relegation battle they experienced last season.
Signing a new left-back and a forward should be the priority in January for Leeds. They were positions the club should have reinforced in the summer, but Leeds opted not to. That has proved to be a costly decision this term.
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Junior Firpo has spent most of the campaign injured, meaning Pascal Struijk has had to serve as a makeshift left-back this term. While Rodrigo has impressed this season, Leeds' other senior forward, Patrick Bamford, has endured a torrid time with injuries. The 29-year-old can no longer be relied upon to play week in, week out for the Whites.
One striker Leeds have been linked with in recent weeks is Atletico Madrid's Matheus Cunha, who looks set to leave the Spanish capital in January. According to the Athletic's David Ornstein, Leeds, along with Everton, Wolves and Aston Villa, are heavily interested in signing Cunha.
"There is serious interest, too, from Leeds United," wrote Ornstein in his Athletic column.
"They tried to get Cunha before he went to Atletico from Hertha Berlin in the summer of 2021 and he knows their head coach Jesse Marsch from their time together at another German club, RB Leipzig, in 2018-19.
"Having narrowly missed out on Cody Gakpo of PSV Eindhoven and the Netherlands in the summer, Leeds know how important it is to pounce before players they want in the market become out of reach for them."
After missing out on the Champions League knockout stages, Atletico's current financial situation means they are looking to sell players on in order to generate funds.
A Brazilian international, Cunha is capable of playing across a front three, as well as in behind a centre forward. While the 23-year-old is hardly prolific based on his career numbers, he is still a promising young talent who could flourish in the right environment.
Diego Simeone's Atletico do not play the most attractive football, which can often hinder the attacking flair of their more expansive players.
However, the Argentine coach has spoken highly of Cunha in the past, which may offer an insight into just why Leeds might be interested in landing the Brazilian forward next month.
Back in September, Simeone told Spanish outlet AS: "Due to his characteristics, he is the ideal player for Atlético. He competes with [Alvaro] Morata who is very good, with a goal and working hard for the team.
"Cunha is strong, we need him, he transmits energy, he has a goal, strength, he is not afraid, he goes to the clash and that is what we need."
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