Matheus Cunha will join Manchester United after the club agreed to pay Wolves the forward’s £62.5m release clause. The Brazilian has been in Manchester to finalise the details of a five-year contract, with the option of an additional year, after passing a medical. The deal will formally be completed once the 26-year-old returns from international duty.
United announced the imminent signing on their website on Sunday, saying: “Manchester United has reached agreement with Wolverhampton Wanderers for the signing of Matheus Cunha. The Brazilian forward’s signing is subject to visa and registration. Everyone at Manchester United looks forward to welcoming Matheus to Old Trafford.”
Carlo Ancelotti has called up Cunha for his first Brazil squad, for the World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay. Cunha, who has won 13 caps, scored 17 goals in all competitions for Wolves this past season.
Ruben Amorim is eager to make changes to United’s squad. It is expected that it will be a busy summer of change at Old Trafford and Cunha is a key target as a No 10 who could fit into Amorim’s 3-4-3 system. The Brazilian is used to playing in a similar formation at Molineux under Vítor Pereira and has excelled, despite Wolves flirting with the prospect of relegation.
United endured their worst season in 51 years, finishing 15th, one place above Wolves. A summer transfer budget of £100m has been made available to Amorim, although this could be increased by sales. The club are open to offers for the vast majority of their players, including Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo, while the club captain, Bruno Fernandes, is a target for the Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal.
Cunha started his professional career in Switzerland with Sion before spells in Germany with RB Leipzig and Hertha Berlin. His first big move was to Atlético Madrid but he struggled to make an impression in La Liga and was allowed to join Wolves on loan in January 2023, before making the move permanent at the end of that season. He won the club’s player of the year award and waved farewell to the Wolves faithful at the end of their final game of the season against Brentford. “I’ve made it clear that I need to take the next step,” Cunha told the Guardian in March. “I want to fight for titles, for big things. I have potential.”
Despite all his positives, Cunha’s temperament has been called into question. He received two suspensions this past season, one for clashing with a member of Ipswich’s staff, taking off his glasses during an altercation. He was sent off in an FA Cup win over Bournemouth in March after lashing out at Milos Kerkez, resulting in a four-match ban.
Speaking during the club’s post-season tour in Malaysia on Tuesday, Amorim said: “Omar [Berrada, the chief executive] can explain better than me, but I think we always prepared two plans – one with Champions League, one without. Without Champions League, we also don’t need a big squad. We can control the squad in a better way.
“We have a plan that is to bring some new players, of course, but our big plan is to improve the team that we have, it’s to improve our academy because I think that is the future. It was the past, so it can be the future. We are not allowed to do much in this summer, so we are prepared for that.”
