Here are the latest Leeds United evening headlines on Monday, 26 December 2022.
Lopetegui on Cunha
Julen Lopetegui believes Wolverhampton Wanderers have signed a 'complete forward' in Matheus Cunha after they pipped Leeds United to his signing. Wolves confirmed on Christmas Day that Cunha will officially join the club on January 1 after agreeing a loan and obligation to buy with Atletico Madrid.
Leeds had been linked with a January move to Cunha given their need to bring in a new striker, however the reported €50 million purchase fee is likely to have put the Whites off. Speaking to wolves.co.uk after Cunha's arrival, Lopetegui spoke highly of the Brazil international and is expecting him to adapt to the Premier League seamlessly.
He said: “Cunha is a good player. I know him, I think he’s a good signing for us in the present and also for the future. I feel that he is a very complete forward.
READ MORE: Victor Orta outlines importance of swift Leeds United transfer dealings ahead of January window
“He has a good condition and good skills, not only technically, but physically, because this is England and in the Premier League you have to be very combative if you want to survive.
“I think he has this profile to play here for a lot of years. Of course, we are going to help him to develop his strengths in the future.
“It’s true that he hasn’t scored a lot of goals, but it’s true also that he is able to score a lot of goals. I hope that he is going to do this here. He’s a very young forward, but he has the quality and the skills to become a very good striker.”
Wagner profile
January 2023 might finally be the month Leeds United address their long-standing left-back issue. This season has seen Leeds have to field centre-back Pascal Struijk as makeshift full-back in the absence of Junior Firpo, who is the Whites only specialist senior left-back.
The Spaniard has struggled for minutes this term having suffered a knee injury prior to the start of the season, forcing Struijk to shift across. While the Dutch defender has performed admirably, the reality is the Whites cannot continue to overlook their lack of left-back depth any longer.
And they could be set to renew their interest in January in Philadelphia Union defender Kai Wagner in an effort to remedy their full-back headache. According to the Athletic's Phil Hay, summer target Wagner remains on Leeds radar, with the Whites keen to add a left-back to their squad in January.
Read more here.
Cunha pressure
Matheus Cunha will be plying his trade in the Premier League next year, but he won’t be wearing a Leeds United shirt. The Brazil international has agreed to become Julen Logetegui’s first signing at Wolves and he’ll make the move on January 1 on an initial loan deal.
The Atletico Madrid forward had plenty of interest as the transfer window approached, with Leeds one side thought to be interested in his signature. United have been linked with Cunha in the past and it seems they have followed his career closely over the last few years as a potential target.
However, the Whites will now be forced to look elsewhere in their bid to land a striker over the next few weeks. Despite the goals of Rodrigo this season, it’s clear the club are in need of more attacking options and, having fallen short in the summer, they will be doing all they can to get the right man over the line before the window shuts at the end of next month.
Read more here.
READ NEXT:
- Cody Drameh's January transfer expectations at Leeds United may have just been transformed
- Erling Haaland's Leeds United text, his Elland Road love and Jesse Marsch's injury jibe
- Jesse Marsch fires a stark warning on Leeds United transfer talk as January window nears
- Leeds United's nagging problem is only piling the pressure on to impending January transfer window
- Tyler Adams taking extended Leeds United rest as he shakes off World Cup injury
