Aston Villa have held talks about bringing Atletico Madrid striker Matheus Cunha to Villa Park, according to transfer reporter Dean Jones.

The Brazil international has been linked with a move to Unai Emery's side, though Jones says Premier League rivals Wolves are currently ahead of them in the race for his signature.

GiveMeSport Transfer Update With Dean Jones

Aston Villa transfer news - Matheus Cunha

The Daily Express recently reported that Cunha is a main target for Villa heading into the January transfer window.

If the Villans are to sign him, however, then they will have to see off competition from Wolves, with their manager Julen Lopetegui confirming that he is a player who is also on their radar.

“We have several open options and he is one of them,” the 56-year-old recently said on Spanish radio (via Express & Star).

Nothing is done yet, though, with Lopetegui going on to add: “In football, until you close the operations, they are all up in the air.”

Read more: January Transfer Window 2023: When Does It Begin, Rumours and Everything You Need To Know

What has Dean Jones said about Matheus Cunha and Aston Villa?

Jones has told GIVEMESPORT that Villa are indeed interested in signing Cunha but are not the ones leading the race for his services.

Speaking to GMS, the journalist said: "I know Villa have had talks about Cunha, but Wolves remain ahead of them. Leeds were linked but, to be honest, I haven’t heard they were actually in for him."

Why was Matheus Cunha not included in Brazil's World Cup squad?

Cunha is a Brazil international, earning eight caps for his country so far, but was left at home by Tite.

The Selecao have a bunch of talented forwards, which includes the likes of Neymar, Vinicius Junior and Richarlison, so winning a spot in Tite's squad was never going to be easy for the Atletico man.

And what obviously did not help his cause was his form at the Wanda Metropolitano during the first half of this season.

As per Transfermarkt, Cunha is yet to score in any of the 17 appearances he has made for Diego Simeone's side.

The above, however, does not seem to have stopped Villa and Wolves from registering an interest in signing the forward, who is currently valued at around £25m by the CIES Football Observatory.

If Cunha does end up joining Villa or Wolves next month, perhaps the change in environment could help him to rediscover his best form again and win a place back in the Brazil squad.

For weekly updates on all the news around the World Cup, sign up to our newsletter.