Manchester United are reportedly making progress in their pursuit of Matheus Cunha. Old Trafford bosses hope key terms will be agreed next month, which would lay the groundwork for an exciting move early in the summer transfer window.
Cunha has enjoyed a sparkling third season with Wolves, scoring 14 Premier League goals and creating four more. The 25-year-old can play in a variety of attacking positions, but United chiefs are believed to have earmarked him for the left-sided No.10 role in Ruben Amorim’s front-three.
The Red Devils did not have a natural fit in the squad Amorim inherited from Erik ten Hag, with Alejandro Garnacho and Joshua Zirkzee among those to have filled in there this campaign.
It is understood that part-owners INEOS will look to flesh out the starting XI with players more accustomed to the demands of Amorim’s 3-4-3 formation this summer. And Cunha is one of the candidates to catch their eye.
The Brazilian international has a £62.5million release clause built into his Wolves contract, which is thought to be within United’s price range. According to The Daily Mail, an agreement is ‘inching closer’, and Cunha is ‘eager’ to play a key role under Amorim despite rival interest from Newcastle.
He may not be the only big-name attacker to land at Old Trafford this summer. With Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund both putting up disappointing numbers, the bigwigs in United’s transfer department have reportedly been discussing another addition to the forward line.
On-loan Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen, Ipswich Town marksman Liam Delap, the RB Leipzig duo of Xavi Simons and Benjamin Sesko, Crystal Palace ace Eberechi Eze and Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo are said to have featured. And all six could be deployed to bounce off Cunha at the business end of the pitch.
United will benefit from greater pulling power in the upcoming market if they manage to secure a place in Europe next term. Their dismal Premier League standing means that winning the Europa League is their best shot at doing so.
That would catapult them straight into the Champions League, and senior Red Devils figures will hope that signing a player of Cunha’s calibre would be enough to keep them there. Some fans were encouraged by the sight of Amorim in conversation with Cunha after Wolves pulled off a shock 1-0 win at Old Trafford on Sunday.
