Wolverhampton Wanderers have been strongly linked with a move for Atletico Madrid forward Matheus Cunha, and journalist Pete O'Rourke believes he could be the perfect Diogo Jota replacement.

The Lowdown: Wolves target Cunha

According to a report from Goal, Wolves are leading the way in the race to sign Cunha, but Julen Lopetegui will still have to fend off interest from the likes of Arsenal, Aston Villa and Leeds United if he wants to bring the Brazilian to Molineux.

The same report details that the player knows he will be leaving the Rojiblancos in the near future, it's now just a matter of which club he goes to, and O'Rourke has now delivered his verdict on why he would be a good acquisition for Wolves this January.

The Latest: O'Rourke reacts

O'Rourke believes that the 23-year-old could take on the responsibilities of two players who have been vital for Wolves in recent years.

In an interview with GIVEMESPORT, the journalist said:

“He’d be a great option, I think, not just as a long-term replacement for Diogo Jota, but it looks like he could be a long-term replacement for Raul Jimenez.

“It does seem like he is coming to the end of his time at Molineux, it seems like he might not figure in the plans of the new manager of the club as well.”

The Verdict: Jota replacement?

Journalist Alan Rzepa has previously hailed the forward as an 'absolute baller', and while he has only exhibited this sporadically during his spell in La Liga, there is undeniable quality there, akin to the raw ability possessed by Jota upon his arrival at Molineux.

Both players flourish in laying on their teammates with assists, with the Portugal international averaging 0.44 per 90 minutes in the past year, while Cunha is just shy of this mark on a figure of 0.36 in the same timeframe, with both players in the top two per cent compared to other forwards.

The 23-year-old actually has the edge in non-penalty expected goals, averaging 0.49, while this figure stands at 0.42 for Jota, indicating that he has the ability to alleviate some of Wolves' issues in front of goal.

With the £65k-per-week earner still at quite a young age, he has time to fulfil the 'enormous potential' he was deemed to have by former Hertha Berlin sporting director Michael Preetz, and would be an astute signing for Lopetegui this January.