Arsenal have been linked with a move Matheus Cunha as their search for a new striker continues, but what could happen if the Wolves forward actually made the switch to the Emirates Stadium?

A new striker has been linked with Arsenal for some time now, and with the transfer window now open, hopes of a new frontman have been reignited with Mikel Arteta's side suffering a few injury problems in attack. The Gunners' attacking options haven't been as clinical as needed to win trophies either, with Wolves forward Matheus Cunha now being linked with a move to north London.

The Brazilian has impressed so far this season, scoring 10 goals and grabbing four assists for Wolves in 20 Premier League games. With Wolves currently sitting outside the relegation zone on goal difference, it would be quite the ask to pry away their star player this month, meaning a hefty fee would more than likely be demanded for the 25-year-old.

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So, if Arsenal were to sign Cunha this month, how could he perform for Arteta's side? Let's take a look.

Rest of Arsenal's 2024/25 season simulated with Matheus Cunha

To set up this simulation, we used Football Manager 2024 to move Cunha to Arsenal in the January transfer window before simulating the rest of the 2024/25 season. This is how the Gunners performed with the Brazilian in their squad.

On his arrival, Cunha instantly became a regular in the Arsenal side, mainly playing as a striker while sometimes being deployed on the left wing. Across all competitions, Cunha made 20 appearances for the Gunners, and in that time he impressed immensely, scoring 11 goals and grabbing four assists.

No one in the Arsenal squad scored more than Cunha following his arrival, with the Brazilian scoring eight in the Premier League and three in the Champions League. He also averaged a rating of 7.91 per game, the highest in the entire Arsenal squad.

At the end of the 2024/25 season, Football Manager 2024 put together an overall best Arsenal XI, based on performances, statistics, and other metrics. This is what it looked like:

Full Arsenal best XI: (4-3-3): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Partey, Odegaard, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Cunha.

Cunha made the Arsenal best XI, starting alongside Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka in the front three. Ben White struggled for form following his return from injury, with Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori starting in the full-back positions.

With Cunha in the ranks, Arsenal really found their feet in the Premier League, with Arteta's side dropping points just three times in the final 18 games of the season. But, the gap between themselves and Liverpool before Cunha's arrival proved too big, with the Gunners missing out on the league title again.

26 wins, seven draws and five defeats saw Arsenal end the season with 85 points, just four fewer than the winners Liverpool. Manchester City claimed a spot in the top four, while Spurs and Man Utd both missed out on the European spots.

In the cup competitions, Arsenal were unable to turnover the two-goal deficit against Newcastle United as they lost 3-1 on aggregate in the Carabao Cup semi-final. A 2-0 loss to Chelsea saw them exit the FA Cup in the fifth round, while a 4-2 aggregate defeat to Real Madrid ended their Champions League hopes in the quarter-finals.