Matheus Cunha transfer: Wolves forward set to join Man Utd at end of season

Matheus Cunha is set to join Manchester United after the season ends this weekend.

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:

"Man Utd 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."
Why maverick Cunha is a good fit for Man Utd - but a risk too
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.