It’s been a tough start to the season for Wolverhampton Wanderers this year.

Vítor Pereira’s men were able to pick up two points against Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton & Hove Albion before the international break, but those are the only points they’ve picked up all season.

Unsurprisingly, then, the Old Gold find themselves rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table and in desperate need of some of the magic Matheus Cunha was able to muster up at points last year.

Fortunately, while the Brazilian ace is long gone, there is another international in the side who has the ability to become another Cunha-type player for the manager.

Comparing Wolves' best Premier League forwards

Even though the club have faced their fair share of relegation battles in the Premier League, Wolves have also had more than their fair share of unreal attackers play for them.

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For example, while he probably isn’t in the top three, former striker Kevin Doyle certainly deserves an honourable mention here, as in 93 top-flight appearances for the club, he scored 18 goals and provided 13 assists.

With that said, someone who is more than an honourable mention is the late great Diogo Jota.

The Porto-born star joined the club initially on loan from Atlético Madrid in 2017 and then on a permanent deal a year later, and in 131 appearances racked up an incredible tally of 44 goals and 19 assists, in what was the club’s most successful period for a long time.

Likewise, while his goalscoring form did fade towards the end of his time at the club, when Raul Jimenez was in his prime, there were few strikers in the league more dangerous than him.

For example, in the 19/20 campaign, the Mexican international racked up an astonishing tally of 27 goals and ten assists in 55 games.

When he finally left the club, he did so with a record of 57 goals and 23 assists in 166 games.

Finally, while his departure might have left a sour taste in the mouths of some, and he certainly didn’t have the longevity of other players at the club, it’s impossible to deny that, at his best, Cunha was a force of nature at Molineux.

Last season saw him pull off some miraculous bits of skill and amass a relegation-avoiding haul of 23 goal involvements in 36 games.

He is someone Pereira could really do with this season, although there is another player in the squad who could end up being the next best thing.

Wolves next Cunha-type player

While the results have been far from ideal, there is still a good deal of talent in this Wolves squad, although, when it comes to someone who could be the new ‘Cunha-type’ player, only one name comes to mind: Jørgen Strand Larsen.

Now, it should be said that, as things stand, the Norwegian international is not at the level the Brazilian was last season.

Moreover, there are some key differences between their games and how they approach matches.

However, that doesn’t mean the former Celta de Vigo ace cannot replicate elements of the former Old Gold star for Pereira – notably his ability to dig the team out of trouble with some individual brilliance.

The primary argument for why he could end up doing this is simply the fact that he’s now got a track record of being a reliable goalscorer in the top five leagues.

For example, in his final season in Spain, the Halden-born dynamo racked up a brilliant tally of 13 goals and three assists in 37 La Liga appearances, totalling 2888 minutes.

That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.31 games, or every 180.5 minutes, which isn’t too shabby at all.

Appearances

35

Minutes

2603′

Goals

14

Assists

4

Goal Involvements per Match

0.51

Minutes per Goal Involvement

144.61′

Yet, despite last season being his first year in what many would consider to be an even tougher league, the free-scoring forward did even better, putting the ball in the back of the net 14 times and providing four assists in 35 appearances, totalling 2603 minutes.

In other words, the “phenomenal” centre-forward, as dubbed by Pereira, averaged a goal involvement every 1.94 games, or every 144.61 minutes in the Premier League last year.

Therefore, while he might not have all the tricks and silky skills of a Cunha, it feels like, so long as he remains fit, Strand Larsen could play a similar role for Wolves and his manager this season.