Matheus Cunha has been the only new senior arrival this summer, although Man Utd moved swiftly to secure his signature.
Matheus Cunha evoked gasps at Molineux Stadium against Manchester United last season.
Cunha scored directly from a corner to open the scoring in the second half, but it was his sublime and outrageous touch earlier in the game that made jaws drop around a foggy Molineux.
The Brazilian brought a speculative pass from his goalkeeper down to the ground with a majestic piece of skill, performing a classy turn and simultaneously taking the ball beyond a flat-footed Manuel Ugarte.
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Wolves defender Matt Doherty reacted: “He’s on another level — it’s top quality, when he’s confident, like that. It’s hard to play against. I was saying to the other lads, it’s difficult to make the game look that easy at times.
“There’s maybe more than a handful in this league who can make it look that easy. And he’s one of them. We’re fortunate to have him. Against Manchester United, he was just on it all game.
“He was taking balls out of the sky, he was Cryuff-like — doing things you would normally be expecting Manchester United players to do. It’s not showboating. That’s his way of getting out of any pressure. You’re not showboating at 0-0 — that’s just his brain working better than everyone else.”
Doherty’s quote about Cunha performing like a Manchester United player from yesteryear during his time at Wolves is why the forward should be an outstanding addition this season.
Cunha has confidence and the ability to back it up. The 26-year-old is a player who gets fans on the edges of their seats and he is expected to be a breath of fresh air at Old Trafford.
Creativity and flair seem to be coached out of players in the modern game, with an emphasis instead placed on retaining possession and waiting for the perfect moment to take a risk.
The Premier League has become worse due to that change, but Cunha is an entertaining player and he is worth paying to watch, something you can’t say about many other players in the United dressing room.
United announced their deal to sign Cunha from Wolves on the opening day of the transfer window and the gloss has been slightly taken off his arrival by no other signings following him through the door.
Fans wanted to see Bryan Mbeumo wrapped up shortly after Cunha’s transfer was completed, but Brentford have hung tough in negotiations and United are still actively working on the deal.
The mood among supporters has begun to drop, which has been exacerbated by Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal conducting transfer business in a swift manner.
There are concerns about how United’s squad looks with their pre-season friendlies beginning against Leeds on Saturday. That has dampened enthusiasm, but it will be exciting to see Cunha in United colours for the first time and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him put on a show for Swedish fans.
Cunha has the potential to quickly become a fan favourite because of how he plays the game. He is a stereotypical Brazilian on the pitch and, more importantly, is capable of finding the back of the net.
Cunha scored 17 goals and tallied six assists in a struggling Wolves side last season and will provide firepower to a United side that looked hopelessly toothless throughout a grim campaign.
Ruben Amorim billed Cunha as “real quality” on the eve of the 1-0 defeat to Wolves in April.
Cunha should indeed be a quality addition and he is guaranteed to entertain while performing.
2025-07-17 10:30:57
