Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa is intensifying transfer talks with Hertha BSC star Matheus Cunha.

What's the story?

According to recent reports from German publication Bild (via Sport Witness), Bielsa's side have already expressed their interest in signing the £27m-rated forward, and a move could be on the cards after the 22-year-old received approval from Hertha to leave the capital club.

Brazilian outlet UOL now claim that the Whites have intensified talks with Hertha over bringing him to Elland Road this summer, and that despite the German club's high demands, Leeds are promising to make a big effort and won't give up on his signing.

Imagine him and Rodrigo

Speaking on a Facebook Live video, Leeds Live's Beren Cross said: "Cunha, yeah I mean I think anybody that’s done a basic level of analysis or read some of the stuff around Cunha will know that he’s a bit like (Rodrigo) De Paul, really, he’s a very exciting footballer – he’s got a lot going for him."  

Dubbed as "something special" by former Hertha BSC manager Bruno Labbadia, the £55,000-a-week Cunha enjoyed a superb campaign in the Bundesliga last season, scoring eight goals and providing another eight assists in all competitions.

With Cunha's ability to play as a number ten, through the middle and out wide on the left, the Brazilian could strike up a partnership with last summer's signing Rodrigo.

The duo are hugely versatile, with the Leeds man also able to play as the number nine or just behind the central striker - in fact, he was at his most prolific last season when playing in the second striker role, scoring three goals in five games.

Both have the pace, the movement, the creativity and the knack of breaking into the box at the right time to be a real attacking threat - Cunha averaged 2.6 shots and 1.8 key passes per game in the Bundesliga last season, while Rodrigo managed 1.8 and 1.2 respectively in the Premier League.

The two could either play just behind Patrick Bamford and operate as number tens, or Bielsa could instead use one of them as the centre-forward and let the other one drop deeper.

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In either case, Cunha could strike up an exciting partnership with Rodrigo were he to join Leeds.

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