Man United have signed Matheus Cunha - and he will occupy a key position in Ruben Amorim's team.
Matheus Cunha celebrates after scoring for Wolves.
Manchester United have signed Matheus Cunha for £62.5m.(Image: Wolverhampton Wanderers FC/Wolves via Getty Images.)
Manchester United have wasted no time in getting down to business at the start of this summer's transfer window.
After completing the £62.5million signing of Matheus Cunha from Wolves last weekend, United are now trying to get a deal in place to bring Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo to Old Trafford.
After seeing an opening offer worth £55m turned down in midweek, discussions between the two clubs are understood to remain ongoing and an improved bid is expected to be made.
Having already signed Cunha, who scored 17 goals across all competitions in 2024-25, the prospect of United adding Mbeumo, who scored 20 Premier League goals, to their attacking pool is exciting.
United's attack was blunt for much of the 2024/25 campaign, so the fact they could start next season with two of the Premier League's most consistent recent goalscorers in their attack is extremely encouraging.
Should Mbeumo join Cunha at Old Trafford, the general feeling is they will occupy the two No.10 positions. Cunha regularly operated as the left-sided No.10 in a 3-4-2-1 system at Wolves, while Mbeumo has often drifted inside from the right flank at Brentford.
United's switch to a 3-4-2-1 formation under Ruben Amorim last November means Cunha's transition to Old Trafford should be fairly seamless. He is a specialist in the No.10 role and the uniqueness of Amorim's formation means that he needs specialist operators to occupy key positions within it.
Despite Cunha and potentially Mbeumo also offering United a sense of versatility, which chief executive Omar Berrada vowed the club would target this summer, Cunha's experience as a No.10 makes him a tailor-made fit for the role Amorim wants him to fill.
And signing specialist players for specific positions is a route former United manager Jose Mourinho wanted to go down in the 2016 summer transfer window, while also acknowledging the importance of having players who could also play in different roles.
Jose Mourinho in discussion with Ruben Amorim during their spells in charge of AS Roma and Sporting Lisbon respectively.
Ruben Amorim has taken a leaf out of Jose Mourinho's (right) book.
"We made a nucleus of four priorities, four positions, to give a certain balance to the squad," Mourinho said in July 2016. "To give a certain push in terms of the qualities I need and want.
"As you know, the ones with more vision. I am more a manager that likes specialists rather than multi-functional players because I am clear in my approach.
"Multi-functional players – you need one or two if you have three central defenders injured. But, basically, I want specialists."
United's early-window recruitment has given a clear indication that Amorim is after both specialists and a sprinkling of versatility. Multi-functional forwards have been missing from United's attacking ranks in recent years, making the addition of Cunha and the potential addition of Mbeumo extremely positive.
However, Cunha, despite being capable of playing as a No.9, is, first and foremost, a specialist No.10, who will slot straight into the left-sided No.10 position. He is a maverick, capable of making something happen in the blink of an eye from that particular area of the pitch.
The unique nature of Amorim's system means he will need specialist operators, hence why he was so determined to sign Patrick Dorgu back in January to operate at wing-back. He cannot rely on attempting to put square pegs in round holes.