Nottingham Forest made a real fist of signing a striker during the January transfer window.
With the Reds currently sitting in third place in the Premier League, Evangelos Marinakis wanted a new striker just to try and get Forest over the line in the quest for Champions League football.
However, strikers cost money. With Forest flying high, the Reds were held to ransom and as a result, the window came and went without any new recruits signing for the senior ranks.
Yoane Wissa was a top target for Forest. However, Jamie Redknapp believed he might cost close to £40 million and being frank, the Reds were never going to be paying that sort of money out.
Another player Forest wanted was Wolves striker Matheus Cunha. The Brazilian was linked with the Reds but he chose to sign a new contract with Cunha having a £62.5 million release clause active from the summer.
Matheus Cunha loses cool as Wolves exit FA Cup
This game proved to be the good, the bad and the ugly of Matheus Cunha. Wolves fought back to take an in-form Bournemouth to extra-time and then penalties but Cunha managed to get himself sent off.
The striker was dismissed by Sam Barrott for an altercation in extra time. He swung a punch at Milos Kerkez and then tried to headbutt the Bournemouth defender before wanting to fight anyone and everyone – including the fourth official – as he left the pitch.
Cunha showcased his brilliance in the game, and it’s not hard to understand why Forest wanted him. He fired Wolves level in the game but wasn’t on the pitch for the penalty shootout as Vitor Pereira’s men failed to make the quarter-final.
Forest clearly wanted Cunha the goalscorer to sign for the club during January. However, this incident in isolation offers more questions than answers about a striker who looks destined to move on this summer.
Forest can’t touch Cunha during summer transfer window
The Wolves talisman is now going to miss some very important games. He will receive a mandatory three-match suspension and there is even a sense that he might miss more games due to the severity of the incident.
Cunha has already been banned this season and Forest don’t need that type of player within their ranks. Although the Brazilian is quite clearly a quality player, there does seem to be a nasty side when it comes to the forward.
Forest didn’t actually bid for Cunha in the end. With that in mind, there is a consensus that perhaps a number of his admirers are uncertain regarding the player’s attitude when it comes to potentially signing this summer.
If the Reds get in Europe, a new striker will be a mandatory requirement. However, if Forest are going to spend over £60 million on a new recruit it needs to be on someone who has slightly less baggage than it appears Cunha has right now.
£62.5m-rated striker has just proved why Nottingham Forest shouldn’t touch him in the summer
