Forget Matheus Cunha, Nottingham Forest must push ahead to secure ‘underrated’ forward who would cost £50m less
Matheus Cunha is being linked with a blockbuster move to Nottingham Forest in the summer, but Evangelos Marinakis might be right to look elsewhere.
Cunha has a £62.5m release clause available in the summer after signing a Wolves contract in February, after a month of intense speculation over his future.
So strong were the rumours that Forest were planning a club-record bid for Cunha, but this never came to fruition as retaining Taiwo Awoniyi became the preferred striking option for Nuno Espirito Santo.
Bizarrely, Cunha said that he never wanted to leave Wolves even though links to both Arsenal and Forest were substantial, proved by the Brazilian’s exit rumours already returning before the season is even over.
However, despite Cunha being Marinakis’ top target in January, there may be a smarter option to support Chris Wood who would cost a fraction of the fee.
Josh Sargent would be a better choice than Matheus Cunha
Cunha’s work rate has come into question which will be a concern for Espirito Santo, so other striking options will need to be considered to ensure Marinakis’ vision for improving the Reds for European football isn’t scuppered by a poor transfer market.
Forest are interested in Viktor Gyokeres in a blockbuster alternative to Cunha, but Josh Sargent of Norwich could be an even more frugal option for the Reds.
Revealed exclusively by Nottingham Forest News in March, Forest are interested in Sargent as the US international continues to light up the Championship, contributing 17 goals for The Canaries so far this season in just 24 appearances.
According to Transfermarkt, Sargent is valued at just £11 million which is over £50 million less than Cunha’s release clause, making the Norwich man significantly more appealing financially than the Brazilian, but delving deeper into Sargent’s statistics, it wouldn’t just be for financial benefit.
Josh Sargent has statistical advantages over Matheus Cunha
After Arsenal pulled out of the Cunha race in January, it feels as if Forest will have a free run at signing the 25-year-old should Marinakis want to.
However, it may not be the wisest move considering what Sargent could offer the Forest squad for a fraction of the price.
In terms of goal contributions, Sargent and Cunha cannot be separated with both contributing 17 goals for their respective sides, but the US international has done it in two fewer appearances.
Pass accuracy-wise, Sargent is also ahead of Cunha who may be a stronger dribbler than the Norwich man, but not a more effective creative spark.
Sargent also takes better care of possession and wins a slightly higher percentage of his aerial duels than the Wolves talisman, making him somewhat closer to being a direct Wood alternative should Espirito Santo require a similar profile.
It’s no secret that Forest will sign a striker in the summer and with plenty of targets in the works, Marinakis should seriously consider Sargent as an alternative to Cunha and other expensive options.
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