Wolves manager Vitor Pereira slammed his star forward Matheus Cunha after last night’s defeat against Chelsea.
The Brazil international has enjoyed a reputation enhancing campaign with the Premier League strugglers but his Wolves future remains a matter of intense specuation.
Earlier this month it was widely reported that the 25-year-old has agreed terms on a new contract that would see him commit the peak years of his career to his current club.
On Monday, however, it transpired that negotiations have stalled amid claims that Arsenal, who are desperate for attacking reinforcements, will make a fresh move before the transfer deadline.
Cunha started at Stamford Bridge but gave a lethargic display which was later admonished by his manager.
‘I had this conversation in the dressing room,’ Pereira said. ‘He can be frustrated because he wants to win, but everybody in the team wants to win.
‘I don’t like this body language. I want someone as a captain trying to help the team – running, suffering, fighting together. This is something I can understand. Next time, I will not understand.’
On Cunha walking straight down the tunnel at full-time, Pereira added: ‘This is something that cannot happen again.’
Asked if his head has been turned amid January interest, the Wolves boss answered: ‘It’s human that the players start to be a little bit… it’s normal in football.’
Arsenal, for their part, are hoping to make additions to their squad with a raft of injuries having put a dent in their title aspirations.
Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus are long-term absentees, while Ethan Nwaneri has missed the last four matches with a muscle strain.
With his side desperate to force a winner against Aston Villa on Saturday, Mikel Arteta had only Raheem Sterling to turn to on the bench, while Kieran Tierney ended up playing as an emergency winger during the closing stages of last week’s win over Tottenham.
By contrast, runaway leaders Liverpool were able to summon eventual matchwinner Darwin Nunez against Brentford just hours before Arsenal dropped two points at home.
‘I mean, the subs made the impact and they [Liverpool] managed to change the game.’ said Arteta, in what some interpreted as a pointed message to the Arsenal board.
‘And on our side, it was the opposite even though after conceding the two goals very close to each other, the danger was because I knew half the team was, that we could go downhill because we were physically drained.
‘Suddenly, the team found another gear to go again and just put Aston Villa in their box and go and go again, trying to find the goal that we haven’t been able to score at the end.’
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