Wolves star Matheus Cunha claims he “never thought” about leaving the club in January despite claims to the contrary.
The Brazilian forward was strongly linked with a move during the winter transfer window with Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United among those who were said to be weighing up a swoop. And things appeared to grow bitter as Wolves boss Vitor Pereira criticised Cunha for his body language during a defeat to Chelsea.
Cunha, though, penned a new four-and-a-half year deal to stay at Molineux - albeit with a release clause written into it. And speaking since putting pen to paper on his new contract, he insists that a mid-season departure was never on his mind.
"I never think about leaving, honestly. I know I have a lot of things to do already and I always said that this was the club that gave me the chance to come back," Cunha told Football Focus.
"They opened the door for me and I always felt I wanted to give back everything so to leave in this type of situation is hard. I am so happy to be here. I hope to continue doing good things."
Cunha, 25, has scored 13 goals for Wolves in all competitions this season and needs just one more strike to make it the joint-most prolific campaign of his career. Despite that, Wolves remain deep in relegation trouble.
The Black Country side are just two points clear of the drop ahead of Saturday’s clash with Bournemouth. But Cunha is convinced that the side can move themselves away from trouble over the coming months.
Asked if fans could still be optimistic, he added: "Of course they need to be excited. I keep saying 'keep belief to the end'.
"We need to feel focused and confident to change the situation and I will do everything. I will hope I help everyone to be better and we solve the situation as fast as we can."
Cunha initially joined Wolves on loan from Spanish giants Atletico Madrid midway through the 2022/23 campaign before pushing through a permanent deal worth around £35m. Cunha has made 82 appearances for the club since then, scoring 29 goals.
Following this weekend’s clash with Bournemouth, Wolves will be aiming to continue their fight for survival against Fulham in midweek. Pereira’s men then renew rivalries with the Cherries in an FA Cup fifth round showdown.