Matheus Cunha, The First Piece of Manchester United's Future

After a series of unfortunate events last season, Manchester United finally brought good news at the beginning of the summer transfer window. They successfully signed Brazilian national team player Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

"The Red Devils" have activated the release clause of the 28-year-old attacking midfielder, amounting to £62.5 million (Rp 1.37 trillion), to bring him to Old Trafford Stadium. Cunha will sign a five-year contract with an option for a one-year extension.

Cunha was in Manchester over the weekend to complete a medical examination with a prospective new club. The agreement, pending visa approval, is likely to be finalized after the player returns from national team duty at the end of June 2025.

Head coach Ruben Amorim has finally marked his regime at MU with a significant purchase. Cunha will be the first player acquired for over 50 million pounds in the Amorim era. This transfer simultaneously opens the summer transfer window for MU, which is expected to be very busy.

Will Cunha fit in at MU and the playing system of Amorim? This question can be answered by how quickly the "Red Devils" completed the transfer of the player. MU did not hesitate to pay Cunha's release clause, without prolonged negotiations.

Cunha has contributed to 40 goals for Wolves in the English Premier League over the last two seasons (27 goals and 13 assists). This record alone is sufficient to illustrate Manchester United's need for the versatile player. Moreover, Manchester United has struggled with scoring almost throughout the last season.

Just look at the final standings of the 2024-25 league season. MU finished in 15th place with only 44 goals scored. This number is significantly lower than Wolves (54 goals), who are one rank lower. The team coached by Amorim is among the five teams with the fewest goals recorded.

Wolves Head Coach Vitor Pereira stated that Cunha is the most immediate solution when the team is in need of goals. "He is a special player who can make a difference in small details. It has nothing to do with hard work. It is all pure quality, individual quality within him," he said.

Football is clearly not mathematics. Calculations on paper do not apply. Cunha's goal contributions at Wolves do not automatically transfer to MU. Nevertheless, Cunha's potential at the Red Devils is considerable due to many alignments in various aspects.

One of the most important aspects is Cunha's expertise in playing within a three-defender formation. Wolves, under the previous coach Gary O’Neil and Pereira, heavily relied on a three-defender formation. Cunha has become accustomed to the 3-4-2-1, 3-4-3, or 3-5-2 schemes over the past two seasons.

As is known, Amorim joined MU in the middle of last season with a new approach. He transformed the four-defender system of the previous coach, Erik ten Hag, into a three-defender setup. This change did not go as smoothly as hoped, as many players struggled to adapt.

Interestingly, Cunha can play in multiple positions simultaneously within a three-defender formation. He can serve as a winger, an attacking midfielder, or a central striker. The former Atletico Madrid player is most frequently deployed as a left attacking midfielder in a 3-4-2-1 formation.

Amorim also frequently employs the 3-4-2-1 formation. However, the two players behind the striker typically share responsibilities. One player acts as the chance creator, such as Bruno Fernandes, while the other is a fast player operating on the wing, like Alejandro Garnacho.

Together with Cunha, the roles of the two players can be combined. He is not a purely creative player with the vision and magical touch like Fernandes. However, Cunha can create opportunities through progressive dribbling. He is capable and willing to carry the ball from the midfield to the front on his own, a characteristic attribute of Brazilian footballers that is currently absent in the MU squad.

Cunha's ability is very effective in breaking down the opponent's defense. According to Opta data, he has produced 55 shots and 38 chances from progressive dribbles in the last two seasons. These individual actions have resulted in six goals and six assists for Wolves.

Micah Richards, a former Manchester City defender, has a deep understanding of the abilities of attacking players. He has observed this throughout his career. According to him, Cunha not only possesses excellent dribbling skills, strong physicality, and a keen instinct for scoring, but also remarkable playing intelligence.

"His playing intelligence is sensational. He is one of the players who can easily dismantle the opponent's defense. He can find small spaces and make the right decisions at the right time. When he has the ball, he is the main actor on the field," praised Richards.

Although it has yet to be proven whether it will be successful or not, the acquisition of Cunha can be considered very much in line with MU's current needs. This purchase is appropriate to support the system akin to Amorim. Red Devils fans can smile a little, considering that making the right acquisitions has been a rare occurrence for MU in recent seasons. (AP/REUTERS)