skysport.ch
Sky Sport

Watch live sport on

Sky Sport
News Football

Man Utd's Cunha pursuit not affected by Europa League defeat

skysports

Matheus Cunha’s potential transfer to Manchester United will not be affected by their failure to qualify for European football next season.

media_api_sky_en_68937976830e566520a4
Matheus Cunha is a transfer target for Man Utd © Other

Matheus Cunha’s potential transfer to Manchester United will not be affected by their failure to qualify for European football next season.

United are planning to trigger his £64m release clause but there have been concerns the player might be put off moving after they lost to Tottenham in the Europa League final and missed out on a place in the Champions League next season.

Sky Sports News understands Cunha would still be happy to join United and he believes they are one of the biggest clubs in the world.

United are expected to trigger the £62.5m release clause in his contract. The club are aware of the conditions for that clause to be met.

There has been no direct contact yet between United and Wolves but those formalities are anticipated once the season has closed.

Despite interest from other clubs, Cunha wants to play for United and Sky Sports News has been told the deal is almost agreed.

Cunha thinks United are one of the biggest clubs in the world and their current Premier League position - they are currently currently two places beneath Wolves in 16th - would not put him off a potential move to Old Trafford.

One source has told Sky Sports News the 25-year-old "loves United".

Five Premier League clubs, including United, wanted to sign Cunha this summer.

Arsenal and Aston Villa were among the clubs that have held exploratory talks about signing the Brazil international this year. Saudi Pro League clubs were also now willing to trigger his release clause.

The forward, signed from Atletico Madrid in 2022 for a fee of around £34m, has registered 27 goals and 13 assists in 63 Premier League games.

Neville: Cunha would suit Amorim's system

Ex-Man Utd defender Gary Neville speaking to Sky Sports News:

"Manchester United are desperate in that position. You think of what Manchester United are playing now, they've let Jadon Sancho go, they've let [Marcus] Rashford go, they've let Antony go, so three players who are natural players who travel with the ball.

"They're playing with [Alejandro] Garnacho at the moment but then they're lopsided. On the other side, sometimes it's [Joshua] Zirkzee when he was fit, or they've got Bruno Fernandes stepping up in moments. Mason Mount's come in there but they need someone who can beat players, they need someone who's equally as good running through the middle with the ball and travelling with the ball, and go out wide and support the wing-back.

"So he's a type of player that you could see Manchester United being interested in, that would suit this system that Ruben Amorim wants to play.

"They've lost three players who play in that type of position so they need to fulfil that, they'll need to fill those roles definitely or else they're going to struggle.

"They need to score goals. Ruben Amorim said at the weekend we're just struggling to score goals, so you need players who can take risks, good in the final third, and Cunha's got a lot of ability."

On concerns about Cunha's character: "No. To be honest, I quite like [it]. If I were playing against him, I wouldn't like a player with a bit of spirit and a bit of fight.

"I used to play with some unbelievable players, some of the very best in the world at their time, and they had the right spike to them - you think about Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez, Eric Cantona and Mark Hughes and how tough and sometimes spirited they were in games.

"Sometimes they did the unpredictable, sometimes they lost their discipline, but they were amazing players. At the time that they get sent off, they know they've let the team down, but what they give you in return is something special and I love a player with character."

Matheus Cunha celebrates after giving Wolves the lead against Leicester

Sky Sports' Adam Bate:

Speaking to Cunha at Wolves' training ground last summer, it was a chance to ask him how important it is for him to feel like he is having fun on the football pitch. "I do not want to go on the pitch and be a robot," he replied. "I want to enjoy it."

Watch Cunha play and that approach to the game shines through. At times, he can appear to wander where he chooses, making decisions off the cuff. But those decisions are often thrilling. He is a maverick in a sport that feels more and more coached.

In the context of Gary Neville's comments about the recent Manchester derby being "boring" and the subsequent reports linking United with a move for the Brazilian forward, it all makes Cunha one of the more intriguing transfer targets of the summer window.

Why? Because on one level, Cunha makes perfect sense in one of those No 10 roles within Ruben Amorim's 3-4-3 system. He already plays there for Wolves. He can score goals but also create them for others. His £64m release fee offers clarity for United.

On the other hand, there are questions about his temperament and while Cunha, who turns 26 in May, is at the right age to make the big move of his career, some will ask if he can adapt to the demands and deliver consistently within an organised pressing structure.

Watch more Premier League matches on Sky Sports ever before with 215 games live of the 2025/26 Premier League season.
Image: Watch more Premier League matches on Sky Sports ever before with 215 games live of the 2025/26 Premier League season

From next season, Sky Sports' Premier League coverage will increase from 128 matches to at least 215 games exclusively live.

And 80 per cent of all televised Premier League games next season are on Sky Sports.

Rate the article
0 Ratings
Your vote is counted.

Newsfeed

Read also

View More

Watch live sport on

Sky Sport
Copyright Sky Switzerland SA © 2001-2025. Created by EWM.swiss