What will 'eccentric' Matheus Cunha bring to MU?

TPO - Based on his performances, Matheus Cunha is undoubtedly a superb attacking player. However, having joined MU for £62.5 million, can the Brazilian star improve the team that finished 15th in the Premier League last season?

Manchester United began their overhaul with a £62.5 million signing to bring Matheus Cunha to Old Trafford from Wolves. In theory, this is the ideal addition.

In the 2024/25 Premier League season, the Brazilian player scored 15 goals and provided 6 assists. Looking back at Manchester United, no player reached the 10-goal mark. The highest scores were achieved by Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo, both with 8 goals. Ruben Amorim needs a consistent source of goals, while also easing the goal-scoring burden on captain Bruno, who recently rejected an attractive offer from the Saudi Pro League to continue his commitment to Manchester United. Cunha is therefore a perfect choice.

Given his performances at Wolves, Cunha is naturally comfortable in the 3-4-3 system that the Portuguese manager is implementing. He is best suited to the left-sided attacking midfield role, but he would also be fine starting on the opposite wing or as a central striker.

Cunha scored 15 goals and provided 6 assists in the 2024/25 Premier League season.

Cunha is currently the most direct attacking player in the Premier League. He always charges forward, receives the ball and makes passes based on his keen vision, or dribbles past opposing defenders and scores. Players who have played with Cunha all praise his intelligence, always knowing what best to do with the ball at his feet, and in a way no one can predict.

Of course, because Cunha is Brazilian. Former Wolves assistant manager Ian Burchnall said that Cunha is one of the few who still retain his samba dance spirit in the age of pragmatic football. "He can work miracles every day," Burchnall said.

Part of the reason is that Cunha plays instinctively. The 26-year-old doesn't like spending hours analyzing opponents and talking about tactics. He needs a free environment, to be placed in his preferred position and feel comfortable expressing himself.

As a Brazilian player, Cunha plays instinctively and hates restrictions.

"Cunha is an entertainer," Burchnall remarked, "He has the ability to turn the game around in an instant, break the monotony and energize the crowd." Cunha himself declared: "I don't want to go out and play like a robot. I want to enjoy football."

It sounds appealing, but Cunha is clearly not an easy player to manage. After so many broken relationships with Paul Pogba, Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho, Antony, and Alejandro Garnacho, can Manchester United handle an emotionally driven striker who hates being tied down like Cunha?

Furthermore, statistics from the 2024/25 Premier League season show that Cunha spent 77.6% of his time on the pitch walking, more than any other player in the league. In addition, coaches who have managed Cunha have complained about his lack of active defensive support. The player himself has also admitted to being "emotionally sensitive," leading to frequent loss of control. Due to controversies in the defeat against Ipswich and in the FA Cup match against Bournemouth, Cunha received two suspensions last season.

Amorim expects a solution from Cunha, but also doesn't rule out the possibility of further problems on his part. Nevertheless, in the current circumstances, those at MU will only look at the positive side.

Thanh Hai

Source: https://tienphong.vn/ke-lap-di-matheus-cunha-se-mang-lai-cho-mu-nhung-gi-post1747649.tpo