Julen Lopetegui: Matheus Cunha believes in the Wolves project

The forward arrived on loan from Atletico Madrid in December and has been quietly waiting for the window to open and his move to become official.

Supporters are eager to see the man that will become a £43million club record signing in the summer, and as he prepares to make his debut at Villa Park tomorrow, Lopetegui has explained how Wolves beat rivals Everton and Leeds to his signature.

When asked how Wolves convinced the Brazilian to join the club, Lopetegui said: “We explained to him our project.

“Each player sees our position in the table and sometimes we are not in the best position to convince the player. But in the end he wanted to come here, he believes in the future and he can be part of the present.

“He’s one more player for us and we will try and take advantage of him.

“The goals are a job for all of the team, not just the forwards.

“Before you score goals, you have to work a lot in all facets of the matches. We have to be ready.”

Cunha had to wait until the New Year to train with his team-mates, meaning he has had limited opportunities to prepare for the Villa clash, but Lopetegui has revealed it is possible he will start the game.

“He’s improving but has only been working for a few days,” he added.

“He’s been here for 10 or 15 days without working with the team and now he’s improving step by step.

“We will see if he starts or not.

“He’s able to help us at Villa Park and will be in the squad list.

“The most important thing is that he’s a complete player and we can use him in different situations.

“He’s a forward and it depends on our way to play. He can play as a striker, or a second striker or on the wing. We will see and we will change him in different situations.

“He’s a good player who has good skills and strengths for the team. He’s very balanced physically and technically and we’ll try to take advantage of that.”

Meanwhile, the Express & Star understands Liverpool are interested in Matheus Nunes, but there is no pre-agreed transfer that will see the Wolves midfielder leave.

Nunes will not leave in January as he is unable to feature for another club this season, after already playing for Sporting and Wolves, and any future move would have to see a club make a substantial bid.

Wolves are interested in making a midfielder signing this month and have made enquiries for Nice midfielder Mario Lemina.

At 29-years-old and a former Southampton and Fulham player, he fits the mould for a Wolves January target as someone older with Premier League experience.