Matheus Cunha of Wolverhampton Wanderers acknowledges the fans prior to the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and Wolverhampton Wanderers FC at Etihad Stadium on May 02, 2025 in Manchester, England.Matheus Cunha of Wolverhampton Wanderers acknowledges the fans prior to the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and Wolverhampton Wanderers FC at Etihad Stadium on May 02, 2025 in Manchester, England.
Matheus Cunha of Wolverhampton Wanderers acknowledges the fans prior to the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and Wolverhampton Wanderers FC at Etihad Stadium on May 02, 2025 in Manchester, England. | Wolves via Getty Images
Manchester United are eyeing a move for Wolves star Matheus Cunha this summer
Cunha has scored 15 goals and provided six assists for Wolves in the Premier League season and has been linked with a number of top Premier League clubs. He signed a new deal with the Molineux club this season but it does contain a release clause of £62.5m.
United are said to be willing to pay the clause but in a fresh update this week, United would prefer to reschedule the payment terms of the clause so they can stay in line with the Premier League profit and sustainability rules. They remain in talks and Cunha is not deterred by whether the Red Devils are playing European football or not next season.
Ruben Amorim’s side are just one win away from the Champions League, however, as they face Tottenham Hotspur in the final of the Europa League later this month.
Man United should propose swap deal to bring Cunha price down
The Red Devils are in need of more firepower in attack but do have players who are surplus to requirements. One such player is left-back Tyrell Malacia, who is currently on loan at PSV Eindhoven. The Dutch club are not planning on keeping the defender around once his loan completes and he does not appear to have a future at Old Trafford under Ruben Amorim.
Malacia joined United for £13m from Feyenoord in the summer of 2022 and penned a four-year contract. Whether the Red Devils would be able to recoup the fee they paid for Malacia and bring Cunha’s price below £50m remains to be seen.
The proposal could also give them the edge over Premier League rivals. TalkSPORT has reported that Newcastle United are interested while Arsenal have a meeting ‘scheduled’ with Cunha’s representatives.
Why Wolves could be tempted by offer to take Tyrell Malacia
Malacia plays at left-back, which is an area Wolves are short in. They have Rayan Aït-Nouri as their only natural option for the position and have used midfielder Rodrigo Gomes and central defender Toti in the role on occasion this season.
Aït-Nouri has been linked with the likes of Liverpool ahead of the summer transfer window and if he was to depart Molineux it would leaves Wolves with a major hole to fill. Whether Aït-Nouri moves on or not, Vítor Pereira could do with more depth in the position and with Malacia set to leave Old Trafford - Wolves could be the perfect fit for the player. It would also make the Cunha deal more affordable for United, who have a limited budget this summer due to profit and sustainability constraints.
Amorim poured doubt on Malacia’s future back in January as he admitted the player does not fit his system. The former Sporting CP boss said: "A player like him is a full-back. He played with the national team outside and inside, but sometimes in this system, sometimes it's hard for him because he's not so offensive. He can play as one of the three defenders, if we have more possession and more control of the games. It's a really difficult context for him.”
Continue Reading