New Man United signing Matheus Cunha will have aspirations of hitting the ground running at Old Trafford.
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Matheus Cunha signs his Manchester United contract.
Matheus Cunha has joined Manchester United for £62.5million.(Image: Manchester United/Manchester United via Getty Images.)
Manchester United chief executive Omar Berrada has admitted he is hopeful new signing Matheus Cunha will bring flair and creativity to Old Trafford after recently arriving from Wolves.
After announcing they had reached an agreement with Wolves to sign the 26-year-old on the opening day of the summer transfer window, United confirmed Cunha's arrival at Old Trafford last Thursday.
He has signed a five-year deal, featuring the option of an additional year, after United triggered the £62.5million release clause in his contract at Molineux.
Cunha scored 17 goals across all competitions in 2024/25, including 15 in the Premier League, meaning he will be determined to produce similar numbers in his maiden season at Old Trafford. He is expected to occupy the left-sided No.10 spot in the Reds' attack.
Signed to bring goals and creativity to United's blunt attack, Berrada believes he could prove to be "Eric Cantona-esque", admitting he has the swagger to lift the fans to their feet.
Speaking to United We Stand, the United CEO said: "He's a player that I think fans are going to love. We can talk about his technical abilities and he can play in three different positions.
"He's a playmaking attacking midfielder; he can score goals, he can make assists. I think he's going to lift people off their seats.
"He's got a bit of a swagger about him that people are going to really like. Dare I say, Cantona-esque."
Well-versed in the No.10 position from his time at Wolves, Cunha is a perfect fit for Ruben Amorim's 3-4-2-1 system. The United head coach wants to strengthen his attacking department with up to three new faces this summer and Cunha was identified as a top target several months before the window opened.
Matheus Cunha waves to Wolves' supporters at Molineux.
Matheus Cunha is an exciting addition for Manchester United.
With United in desperate need of fresh blood in attack, supporters should be energised by Berrada's comments about Cunha, who they will be hoping can live up to the billing.
Interestingly, Berrada's comments about Cunha being a player that is capable of getting supporters out of their seats run parallel with former United captain Roy Keane's opinion of the Brazilian international.
Speaking in January 2024, Keane said of Cunha: "He's a talented player. He's lively. Every time he gets the ball you think something's going to happen.
"[He is a] really exciting player, he has the ability to beat players. He's got that pace, he looks a very natural player off the cuff. I like the look of him, big player."
Of course, the proof will be in the pudding, and not until Cunha settles into life at Old Trafford will anyone be able to make a firm judgement on if he can deliver the goods in M16.
However, he has already earned plenty of praise and the seal of approval from one of United's biggest critics in the form of Keane.