A Bundesliga star could be the missing link for an encouraging Leicester City side. 20-year-old Brazilian Matheus Cunha may be the Foxes’ answer.
Another weekend passes without Premier League football for Leicester City supporters, although teams are slowly resuming training amidst coronavirus restraints. However, fans were treated to some excellent Bundesliga actions as a replacement, which kick started with a thrilling Berlin derby.
Matheus Cunha was one of the main attractions in the fixture, after arriving at Hertha Berlin from RB Leipzig in January. The 20-year-old’s slow, bench-ridden start to the season has been totally eclipsed by a magnificent run of form during his short tenure inside the capital of Germany.
Prior to his move, Cunha had registered only a single assist, during an away fixture at SC Freiburg. Since moving, the Brazilian youngster has scored four and assisted one in just six games, a run of form that’s transcended the abrupt break due to the coronavirus.
Cunha was placed on the left wing by manager, Bruno Labbadia, who prior to the derby had favoured playing him as either a central-attacking midfielder or as a “second striker”. During his time with RB Leipzig, manager – Julian Nagelsmann, tinkered with playing the 20-year-old as a right winger, against Mainz 05 and Borussia Dortmund, to no avail.
Undeniably, the Brazilian is more affective in the central areas of the pitch, it’s his raw athleticism that attracts managers into playing him out wide. His quick, direct nature is the catalyst of almost all Hertha Berlin counter attacks and through the centre this is a lot more dangerous.
One of Cunha’s best attributes is his ball carrying. Not afraid to drop deeper and collect the ball, he favours dribbling past his opponent instead of a progressive pass through the lines. This ‘greediness’ could be considered detrimental but it’s anything but. His decision-making is at a very good level for his age; a disposition which would suit the Foxes.
Another imperative attribute that Cunha posses is the ability to use both feet, which as a primary shadow striker, is pivotal. It makes his passing, dribbling and shooting range incredibly unpredictable, something all shadow strikers thrive for. The Brazilian has also formed an instinctual partnership with veteran Bosnian forward, Vedad Ibisevic, as such, Hertha Berlin have quite the combative duo.
However, this shadow striker role doesn’t have a place in Brendan Rodgers’ 4-1-4-1 formation. Instead, when Rodgers opts for a 4-1-2-1-2, like he did against Aston Villa or a 4-2-3-1 which Leicester City used versus Wolverhampton Wanderers on the opening day of the season, there’s a place for Cunha in those systems.
Think of an athletic, younger and more talented version of Shinji Okazaki – which is a massive compliment, as Okazaki was a brilliant centre forward. The Japanese international is a Leicester legend and was a valuable piece of the title winning puzzle. His awareness to find space in between the defensive and midfield lines is the exact role Cunha has for Hertha Berlin.
The outlying issue, which is the same for all these speculated signings is the fee. Matheus Cunha has a current market value of £12.15m but having signed in January of this year for £16.2m, Hertha would be looking for hefty profits to part ways with one of their most exciting talents.
When you accumulate his inflated value with the notion that currently, Cunha is relatively unproven, it makes the deal somewhat of a gamble. In the current squad, Cunha would be considered a fringe player, but probably the best the Foxes have to offer, with a good run of form the Brazilian would more than likely find a way into Leicester City’s starting XI.
Combine all these factors, and the real value that makes this deal achievable is if Brendan Rodgers could pry him away from Berlin for a deal in the range of £25m-£35m. Hertha Berlin are unlikely to get any form of European football this season, five points behind VfL Wolfsburg – which is for the UEFA Europa League qualifying round and 18 points behind Borussia Monchengladbach, who currently reside in the final fixed UEFA Europa League place.
Leicester City should have UEFA Champions League football if the Premier League season is completed and therefore have a lucrative offer on the table. The flexibility and ability of Matheus Cunha make him worth the value, as a substitution he could replace Youri Tielemans, Ayoze Pérez, Harvey Barnes or even Jamie Vardy and that’s something the Foxes are in desperate need for heading into Europe’s elite competition.