Atletico Madrid forward Matheus Cunha has reportedly emerged as a prime target for Leeds United ahead of the January transfer window.
According to the Athletic's David Ornstein, the Whites hold "serious interest" in the Brazilian international who is widely expected to leave Madrid next month.
"There is serious interest, too, from Leeds United," wrote Ornstein in his Monday morning Athletic column.
READ MORE: Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone has told Leeds United why they need to sign Matheus Cunha
"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."
While the 23-year-old has previously been on Leeds' radar, the fact that Marsch is now in charge of the Whites makes the potential arrival of Cunha all the more interesting.
Having coached the Brazilian forward, Marsch will know exactly what Cunha could give Leeds in attack.
Additionally, this would not be the first time Leeds have looked into signing a player Marsch has managed.
Last summer, they bought Rasmus Kristensen, Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson, who had all played under the American coach previously.
And looking at FBRef's advanced stats for Cunha may offer some insight into why Leeds and Marsch are so keen on the Brazilian.
FBRef is a website that provides comprehensive football stats for both players and clubs from all over the world. And upon studying Cunha's stats, it becomes obvious why Marsch wants him.
Cunha ranks highly when it comes to creating chances, pressing and winning back possession. The Atletico forward is in the 95th percentile for winning tackles and interceptions, as well as being in the 99th percentile for blocks.
These defensive stats alone would suggest Cunha would fit excellently into Leeds' high energy pressing football, making him an appealing target for the Whites.
While it should be noted Cunha is not the most prolific of forwards, he does appear to be a very promising, skilful player who would fit nicely into Leeds' starting line-up.
Wolves, Everton and Aston Villa are also all interested in signing the Brazilian, meaning Leeds face stiff competition for his signature in January.
However, after missing out on Cody Gakpo last summer, Leeds may opt for a more aggressive approach when it comes to Cunha, in order to avoid missing out on another attacking target.
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