Wolves boss Vitor Pereira expects Matheus Cunha to be a man in demand next month

Wolves boss Vitor Pereira has conceded it will be tough to hang on to star man Matheus Cunha as speculation continues to mount about a potential high-profile move in January.

Arsenal are the latest Premier League rivals linked with the striker, who starred again in the Boxing Day win over Manchester United which extended Pereira’s stunning start at Molineux.

And ahead of Sunday’s trip to Tottenham, Pereira said: “I hope he stays with us for a long time but I understand that as a special player he will have opportunities for sure in his career.

“It is not only about his technique, but his personality. He is special because he can take the ball in a moment of pressure and make magic from nothing.”

Pereira is adamant that one way of convincing his most talented stars to stick it out at Molineux is to give them the freedom to express themselves as he looks to lead his new side clear of the relegation zone.

Wins over Leicester and United have given his side some valuable breathing space and Pereira added: “I believe my players have quality and I believe our work will impact them.

“When you give the confidence to them and they feel this confidence, this power, everything can change.

“If you get results they start to believe in the manager, in the idea, they start to feel as a team, they feel confidence in their team-mates and this is what is happening now.”

Cunha himself admitted that Pereira’s arrival in place of Gary O’Neil has rejuvenated a squad that looked for long periods to be odds-on for a return to the Championship.

Speaking to Wolves’ official website, Cunha said: “When someone new comes in they bring a lot of things and with Vitor it’s no different.

“He’s been 18 years with the dream to come and manage a team in the Premier League. We feel happy about these kind of things, because we can feel the energy, how they push us to be better. We can show everyone that we are all together.”

Pereira is set to welcome back Mario Lemina after the midfielder missed the last two games with a calf injury but Pablo Sarabia is set to still be sidelined with a similar complaint.