It looks like Matheus Cunha is coming to United. Barring a disaster, the Brazilian is going to wearing red next season.
His name first came up back in 2024, but a move during the January transfer window was played down by Wolves at the time. It seemed like his was a name that had come and gone, but work was obviously going on behind the scenes.
While we are still waiting for the famous “Here We Go” from Fabrizio Romano, all sources seem to believe this is a done deal.
Cunha is exactly the sort of player I was hoping United would be able to bring in: he has proven himself in the Premier League already, he scores a lot of goals, he’s versatile, he’s only 25, and he should fit well into Amorim’s system.
He also really wants to be a Manchester United player, which you could argue is even more important.
Personal Terms Agreed
Cunha has agreed personal terms and accepted Manchester United’s project, with just the finer details needing to be ironed out now.
🚨🇧🇷 More on Matheus Cunha exclusive story. Man United are set to approach also Wolves to proceed with £62.5m release clause payment in installments.
The deal is almost done on player side as revealed yesterday, with final details being clarified.
Cunha said YES. ⏳ pic.twitter.com/zy3GUn5vtY
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 20, 2025
Once the season is over, United plan to trigger the £62.5 million release clause in his contract with Wolves, so that side of the deal seems relatively straightforward. Although they are planning to pay in instalments, maybe via Klarna (not really, I made that up).
The point is, you don’t tend to agree terms with the player if the deal with their old club isn’t more or less tied up as well.
Newcastle were also interested in Wolves’ top scorer this season, but Cunha chose United. That makes me like this signing even more, because he isn’t just coming here for wages, he certainly isn’t coming for glory because Lord knows we have had little of that in recent times – he’s coming for United.
Why Cunha is a Good Signing
The most obvious stat to consider is the 17 goals and 6 assists he claimed in 34 games this season. For Wolves. That accounts for 33.33% of their total goal count.
And he’s not even a striker. If we can get 17 goals a season out of Cunha and sign a new striker this summer, United could have a lot of artillery in attack next season. Amad, Bruno, and Garnacho have goals in them, too, and Zirkzee was finding form before he was injured.
Cunha versatility will make him very useful in Amorim’s system, plus, he’s aggressive. You know how Rasmus Hojlund is bullied up and down the pitch? That ain’t going to be happening to Cunha.
He has played as a striker for Wolves, often just off to the left, but he also played deeper in a more creative role and got on the ball. He managed to score wherever he was, though, and for United, the number 10 position seems the obvious spot for him.
This creates questions over Bruno Fernandes’ role, but both players are adaptable and could absolutely play together. It does also open the door to Bruno being sold, which I don’t want to think about, but the club is having financial issues and Bruno is valuable. Anyway…
Cunha is creative on the ball and off it, he brings the dynamism we have been missing, and I think he would be able to wear that heavy badge of ours without feeling the weight of it.
The Start of a Strong Summer Window?
The fact we are talking about a marquee summer signing before this season is even over makes me happy. Recruitment has been a joke at Old Trafford for years, but things seem to be improving now.
£62.5 million is a lot of money, but clubs know how to structure these deals so they fall within financial fair play rules, and also in a way that leaves money in the bank for other signings.
I’m not expecting a summer transfer window that sees 5 or 6 players coming our way, but 3 or 4 seems doable. Wilcox and Vivell etc. are not going to blow the entire budget on a single player. They know we need more than just Cunha, so will doubtless have other irons in the fire to replace poor old Hojlund. We’ve all heard the rumours about Delap, for example.
There is already talk of keeper, Emiliano Martinez, coming from Aston Villa and we have improvements to make elsewhere, too.
I think 3 or 4 good singings is all we need. There is a lot of fresh blood in the team already, many of whom joined at a chaotic time. If everyone has a chance to settle over Summer, train under Amorim without the pressure of games for a few weeks, and come back fresh, next season United could be a totally different beast.