Manchester United have held positive contract talks to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Matheus Cunha.
Ruben Amorim and United executives are aligned on trying to bring Cunha to Old Trafford and they are taking the first steps in attempting to find agreement on personal terms.
The £62.5million ($83.7m) release clause in Cunha’s contract makes the parameters of a transfer clear, and while Wolves want payment in full there is scope for instalments. United have financial regulations to consider but hope to free space by selling Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Antony and Tyrell Malacia.
Cunha, through a trademark dribble, earned the free-kick that Pablo Sarabia converted to win Wolves the game at United on Sunday, and afterwards Amorim was seen greeting the Brazilian forward in the tunnel.
Before the game Amorim said: “(Vitor Pereira) has real quality players — Cunha and all these guys, they have real quality. They are fresh. I just gave the example because I remembered about Matheus — he’s scoring a lot of goals. Just that.”
Cunha helped Wolves win at Old Trafford on Sunday (Matt McNulty/Getty Images)
The Athletic reported earlier this month that Cunha, alongside Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap, had emerged as plausible summer transfer targets for United as they prioritise strengthening their attacking options.
Cunha, who turns 26 in May, is regarded by United as a player at his peak who could make an instant impact in a forward line that has struggled for goals this season. He plays the No 10 role for Wolves in the same 3-4-2-1 as Amorim uses, and would be seen as a good fit behind a striker for United.
Only four clubs have scored fewer times than the 38 that Ruben Amorim’s side have managed in the Premier League, with Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee scoring only six goals between them. Midfielder Bruno Fernandes is the club’s top scorer in the competition with eight.
Cunha has scored 14 goals in the league and added a further two in the FA Cup, despite missing six games in those competitions due to suspensions.
He has made 87 appearances for Wolves since joining, initially on loan, from Atletico Madrid in January 2023. He previously enjoyed spells at RB Leipzig and Hertha Berlin in Germany having come through the ranks at Coritiba in Brazil.
A Brazil international, Cunha has played 13 times for his country.
‘The perfect combination for an elite forward’
Analysis by Mark Carey
Pushing his temperament to one side for a moment, there is little doubt that Matheus Cunha has been Wolves’s talisman this season. Having barely played as an out-and-out striker, a return of 13 Premier League goals shows how much he has shouldered the attacking responsibility to help his side stave off relegation.
Playing as a left-sided No 10, Cunha’s intelligence to drift into pockets of space will often mean that all attacking roads lead through the Brazil international. As well as his goal haul, no Wolves player has created more open-play chances or generated a higher expected assists tally. Ideally, you would clone Cunha and play them both — one to craft the chance and the other to finish.
With a deftness of touch that often belies his 6ft frame, the 25-year-old will often look to drive his team forward single-handedly with his close control. His 118 take-ons in the Premier League is higher than any other player in the Wolves squad — for context, no other team-mate has broken a century.
Manchester United have witnessed his cheeky, South American flair first-hand after Cunha’s Olimpico goal gave Wolves the lead in their Boxing Day clash this season. With Ruben Amorim’s side in desperate need of a player to stitch their attack together, Cunha could be the perfect player to line the midfield and forward line — particularly given that he is adept at playing in a 3-4-2-1 system.
Capable of playing anywhere across the front line, Cunha offers versatility, creativity, and goalscoring ability. The perfect combination for an elite forward.
Why is a new No 10 important for Amorim?
Analysis by Manchester United correspondent Laurie Whitwell
Cunha’s familiarity with that position behind the striker in a 3-4-2-1 formation enhances his appeal for United, who want adaptable players but also need new signings to hit the ground running. Cunha’s record against United inevitably colours perceptions too. He terrorised Erik ten Hag’s side when running from midfield on the opening day of the 2023-24 season and, of course, scored direct from a corner past Andre Onana at Molineux this term.
Cunha’s ball-carrying is an important aspect to consider in an Amorim system. Usually Amorim has a blend in his No 10s, one a creator, the other tasked with running beyond. Cunha could offer a bit of both, but his ability to go past opponents would add dynamism and, importantly, he can carry a scoring edge.
There may be questions about temperament given his bans for reactions against Ipswich and Bournemouth, and his work off the ball at Wolves left some staff wanting more. But he has 12 and 13 Premier League goals in consecutive seasons, after getting two in 17 games while on loan for half a campaign, which is proof of his pedigree. Rasmus Hojlund got 10 Premier League goals last term, but only three this year, while Alejandro Garnacho, who plays as the ball-carrying No 10 under Amorim, has seven and four.
Is his temperament a concern?
By Wolves correspondent Steve Madeley
The big question marks will be about Cunha’s character after he was suspended for a total of six games this season after two huge losses of emotional control.
He cannot deny that the red mist can descend. Fans have seen it with their own eyes.
His first outburst, when he elbowed and ripped glasses from the face of an Ipswich Town staff member in the wake of what turned out to be Gary O’Neil’s final game in charge, was as unexpected as it was bizarre, given that Cunha had no form for indiscretions beyond the occasional instance of diving.
The second, when he swung an arm and a foot and then tried to headbutt Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez, was anything but unexpected as his body language had become increasingly negative in the intervening period.
But it is a phenomenon that has only emerged this season at Wolves.
In the previous 18 months he was seen as a warm, personable member of the dressing room and was a popular figure among coaching staff and fellow players. If he can channel that side of his personality, he is an asset on and off the field.
(Top photo: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)