Wolves boss expects January bids for 'special' Man Utd target Matheus Cunha

Wolves manager Vitor Pereira admits it’s going to be a struggle to keep his shining player Matheus Cunha due to interest ahead of the January transfer window, following another standout performance against Manchester United on Boxing Day.

Despite Wolves’ struggles, Cunha, 25, has 10 goals and four assists in what has been a sensational season for the Brazilian.

As the buzz around Man Utd and Arsenal’s interest in Cunha grows, ahead of their upcoming match against Tottenham, Pereira expressed: “I hope he stays with us for a long time but I understand that as a special player he will have opportunities for sure in his career.

“It is not only about his technique, but his personality. He is special because he can take the ball in a moment of pressure and make magic from nothing.”

The Wolves boss is unwavering in his belief that the key to convincing top talent to remain at Molineux lies in ensuring they can play freely.

Pereira’s ethos is all about instilling confidence, allowing players to express themselves, something which has started to bear fruit with recent victories over teams like Leicester and Man Utd providing some much-needed distance from relegation worries.

Pereira added: “I believe my players have quality and I believe our work will impact them. When you give the confidence to them and they feel this confidence, this power, everything can change.

“If you get results they start to believe in the manager, in the idea, they start to feel as a team, they feel confidence in their team-mates and this is what is happening now.”

Cunha has openly acknowledged that new management under Pereira has breathed new life into a squad that once seemed destined to slip back into the Championship.

Relaying his thoughts to Wolves’ official site, Cunha said: “When someone new comes in they bring a lot of things and with Vitor it’s no different.

“He’s been 18 years with the dream to come and manage a team in the Premier League. We feel happy about these kind of things, because we can feel the energy, how they push us to be better. We can show everyone that we are all together.”

While Mario Lemina is expected to make a comeback after missing out on two matches due to a calf injury, it appears Pablo Sarabia might remain off-pitch dealing with a similar condition.