Arsenal target Matheus Cunha sets record straight after issuing Wolves transfer statement

Matheus Cunha has set the record straight about his happiness at Wolves following and claims a quote from a national newspaper interview was misinterpreted. On Sunday, The Observer quoted him as saying: "I've made it clear that I need to take the next step. I want to fight for titles, for big things."

This comment was widely read as the striker hinting at a departure from Molineux come the summer transfer window. Several Premier League clubs, including Arsenal, are said to be interested. Yet, over 24 hours after the interview was published, Cunha took to Instagram to clarify his statements with a series of posts.

He uploaded a screenshot of the headline from The Guardian's article: "Matheus Cunha: 'All we want in life is affection - Wolves gave me back that joy'". Accompanying the image, he commented: "what the real interview is like! (wolf emoji) (folded hands emoji)".

In another post, he shared a snippet of the interview that inspired the headline. It states: '"Sometimes all we want in life is affection.

"People think we have everything, but we're human beings, too. We need a bit of understanding - we have our difficulties.

"Wolves gave me that joy back. The fans [have given] me a lot. The status I have today, the player I am now and the happiness I'm feeling, it's because of them. I'm really grateful to Wolves."

Cunha captioned his post with a heart-on-fire emoji and then turned to illustrate his views with a graphic depicting a quote from his latest interview: "I've made it clear that I need to take the next step. I want to fight for titles, for big things."

He wittily captioned this with an exploding head emoji and the quip: "and how do they get clicks (exploding head emoji)," drawing a sharp contrast to the headline's dramatic tone. The footballer also lamented the media landscape, venting: "It's impossible for the player to be honest in an interview knowing that everything can be taken in any way he wants."

Taking to his Instagram story, Cunha shared a candid video outside the Sir Jack Hayward Training Grounds warmly addressing supporters with: "Hey guys, Cunha here, I only came here to talk about the noise around my name, the interview I gave, and show my point.

"I don't think people read the interview, and I don't think people have the correct interpretation. The point was talking about Wolves to show everyone how happy I am to be here, to play for this team and these team-mates, and to give back all the love they give me. Like ambitious players, we want to play for something more, to put this club on another level. Me and my team-mates will give our all to achieve this goal.

"I want to say thank you for all the support, it's always so good to play for the club and help to improve them and be a better player and person. I wanted to say this in the interview for everyone in the world. Thank you for the love and all the support, and I hope to see you soon, guys - thank you."