Arsenal lacked a striker so much that they had to put Merino in as a center forward - Photo: Reuters
A few days ago, the football world was abuzz with rumors that Man United had reached an agreement to transfer striker Matheus Cunha for £60 million.
Lack of center forwards
Of course, that’s just a rumor. The truth is that Man United are crazy about Cunha. The other truth is that Cunha definitely wants to leave Wolverhampton – who are just barely surviving this season – for a more ambitious club. The only thing that doesn’t make sense is the price tag for the Brazilian.
Cunha is currently valued at £50m by Transfermarkt, but that figure is likely to change when Transfermarkt updates its figures in June, when the transfer market is in full swing. The Brazilian is having the best season of his career, scoring 15 goals in 29 Premier League games, which is not bad for a mid-table side.
But goals aren’t the only indicator of Cunha’s talent. The Brazilian plays well in all three roles – as a centre-forward (No. 9), a second striker (No. 10) and a winger. He’s the type of all-round striker that was quite popular in the 2000s-2010s. Cunha and Isak are emerging as the two most prominent centre-forwards in the Premier League right now.
Isak's class and value are even higher than Cunha's, which is understandable given that the Swedish striker plays for Newcastle. But teams chasing Isak, such as Liverpool and Arsenal, will also easily lower their target to Cunha, given the urgency of the hunt for a striker.
Arsenal are the team that understands the importance of a striker the most. In the past 3 years, they have been completely empty-handed because they do not have a striker good enough, capable of scoring 20 goals/season. Man City and Liverpool have won the Premier League with such strikers, from Haaland to Salah.
In Spain, people talk a lot about how the breakthroughs of Raphinha and Yamal this season have helped Barca revive. But it is impossible not to mention the role of Lewandowski - who gives the aforementioned wing duo more space to score goals.
In Italy, Inter Milan has maintained stable performance for the 6th consecutive year (almost every year they have 1 cup) thanks to the presence of good strikers, from Lukaku to Lautaro Martinez, Marcus Thuram...
Man United are crazy about Cunha but can't get him yet - Photo: Reuters
How many "hot items" are there?
In England, Isak and Cunha are the two most prominent strikers today. But the possibility of Newcastle accepting to sell Isak is very low, when they have enough resources and ambition. On the contrary, Cunha openly wants to leave, and the story is only about the price. The difficulty lies in the fact that the Brazilian striker just renewed his contract with Wolverhampton last year. Wolverhampton completely "holds the handle" in this deal.
Liam Delap is seen as a cheaper option compared to Isak and Cunha. The Ipswich Town striker is only 22 years old, valued at £30 million, and is sure to want to leave a team that has just been relegated. Of course, cheap goods come with no guarantee of quality.
Premier League giants will prioritize strikers who have proven themselves in the toughest league on the planet. But quality "goods" are still available in other leagues. Man City have been quite successful in bringing in Marmoush - an Egyptian striker who shone in Germany in the winter transfer window. On the other hand, Tottenham have still not been able to change their fortunes despite buying one of the best English strikers at the moment, Solanke.
There is a long list of "number 9s" in Germany, Italy, France and Portugal - leagues that are not so prominent, but always a launching pad for young players. They are Sesko, Openda (Leipzig), Lookman (Atalanta), Boniface (Leverkusen) and especially Osimhen (Galatasaray)...
Osimhen is a prime example of the importance of strikers. Last summer, Chelsea pursued the Nigerian striker all the way, but gave up when Napoli asked for too much, and Osimhen himself demanded a huge salary. In the end, Chelsea struggled to get ahead due to a lack of a good striker, and Osimhen himself drifted to Galatasaray. A breakdown that had consequences for both.
Liverpool, Arsenal, Man United, Chelsea will not fall into that rut, to start a bustling transfer season.
Arsenal in danger
Arsenal's second place in the Premier League table seemed rock solid, but is now seriously shaken with the Gunners' recent poor form.
In round 35 of the Premier League, the Gunners lost 1-2 to Bournemouth at home, leaving them trailing Man City by just 3 points. Not only that, Nottingham Forest, currently ranked 6th, are only 7 points behind Arsenal and have played 1 game less. With this form, Arsenal could be knocked out of the top 5.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/premier-league-cuoc-san-lung-so-9-20250504225129668.htm
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