Leicester City FC v Wolverhampton Wanderers FC - Premier League
Matheus Cunha is set to join Manchester United from Wolves (Picture: Getty)
Liverpool considered making a move for Matheus Cunha this summer before giving Manchester United a free run at the Wolves star.
Cunha, 26, has agreed a move to Old Trafford and will take the No. 10 shirt currently worn by Marcus Rashford when he joins the club.
The Brazilian has verbally agreed a five-year deal with United, who are currently negotiating a payment plan with Wolves after deciding to meet the player’s £62.5m release clause.
Cunha has been one of Wolves’ best and most important players since his move from Atletico Madrid in 2022, scoring 31 goals over the past two seasons.
The 26-year-old attracted interest from Arsenal and Chelsea during the January transfer window and emerged as a potential target for Liverpool after an impressive performance at Anfield in February.
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Premier League champions Liverpool beat Wolves 2-1 that day but Cunha, who scored the visitors’ goal, impressed Arne Slot’s coaches and those higher up at the Merseyside club, according to the Daily Mail.
It is claimed Liverpool were ‘certainly interested’ in a deal for Cunha following that display and considered making a move in the second-half of the season.
Liverpool FC v Wolverhampton Wanderers FC - Premier League
Cunha scored against Liverpool at Anfield (Picture: Getty)
However, Liverpool ultimately decided against a move as they were not sure where Cunha would fit into Slot’s squad and knew the Dutchman was already blessed with an abundance of attacking talent.
The club’s interest in Cunha all but ended when they decided to sanction a potentially record-breaking bid for Bayer Leverkusen’s German attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz.
Slot revealed his admiration for Cunha before Liverpool’s clash with Wolves back in February, insisting he ‘had the quality’ to play for a top-five club.
‘He’s a type of player that I’m referring to when I always say, if I compare the leagues, or a league where I’ve worked in and this league,’ Slot said.
Liverpool FC v Crystal Palace FC - Premier League
Arne Slot spoke glowingly of the Wolves star (Picture: Getty)
‘I don’t know exactly where Wolves are at the moment… 17th, if you go to the Dutch league and look at the 17th [team] there’s no player who could play for Ajax, PSV or Feyenoord.
‘But Matheus Cunha is a quality player and he has the quality to play for one of the top five teams in England.’
Other clubs reportedly have reservations about Cunha’s character and Gary Lineker admits that is the one ‘slight question mark’ against the Brazilian.
‘He’s an incredibly talented player,’ the ex-England striker said on The Rest is Football podcast.
Manchester United v ASEAN All Stars
Ruben Amorim is set to welcome Cunha to Manchester United (Picture: Getty)
‘There’s a slight question mark against him in terms of managers seem to… I think he’s either brilliant or can be accused occassionaly of lacking team principles and work ethic.
‘A couple of the managers at Wolves have alluded to that, perhaps he can be slightly problematical.’
But ex-Manchester United defender Phil Jones is excited by Cunha’s arrival and believes he will be a ‘really good addition’ to Ruben Amorim’s squad.
‘Really good, I really like him,’ Jones, who retired last summer, told OLBG.
‘Matheus Cunha is a player who I’ve watched twice this season against Man United and done well in both games.
‘He reminds me a little bit of Mousa Dembele. That sort of player, he’s so strong when he’s running with the ball and powerful, but he’s got that ability to shift the ball, move the ball, find a pass, score a goal.
‘I really like him. I think he’d be a really good addition if the club were to bring him in.’
Cunha is set to join a Manchester United side that finished just 15th in the Premier League and lost the Europa League final to Tottenham.
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