Manchester United Close in on £62.5m Wolves Star Despite Premier League Struggles | OneFootball

Matheus Cunha to Manchester United: A Maverick Amidst the Rebuild

United’s Transfer Gamble on Talent Over Trophies

Manchester United, a club once synonymous with relentless dominance, now find themselves clinging to reputation over results. The potential £62.5m signing of Matheus Cunha from Wolves—despite the absence of European football next season—is less a flex of financial muscle, and more a roll of the dice on raw flair and fight.

According to a detailed report from Sky Sports News, United are pressing ahead with plans to trigger the Brazil international’s release clause. Despite their fall from Champions League grace and a stuttering 2024–25 Premier League campaign, Cunha “would still be happy to join United and he believes they are one of the biggest clubs in the world.”

Photo: IMAGO

This conviction, coming from a player whose own game thrives on unpredictability and emotional expression, may seem surprising. Yet in some ways, it makes perfect sense.

Style Meets System: Why Cunha Fits Amorim’s Vision

It’s not only about filling a gap, it’s about finding the right shape. Cunha, who has notched 27 goals and 13 assists in 63 Premier League games since arriving from Atlético Madrid, seems to fit the prototype Ruben Amorim covets in his fluid 3-4-3 system.

Photo IMAGO

“Manchester United are desperate in that position,” Gary Neville told Sky Sports News. “They need someone who can beat players, 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.”

Neville’s observation is rooted in reality. With Jadon Sancho ostracised, Marcus Rashford falling from form, and Antony offering diminishing returns, United’s attacking potency has become increasingly one-dimensional. Even the promising Alejandro Garnacho cannot carry the burden alone.

In Cunha, United would be getting more than a statistical upgrade. They would inherit a footballing rogue, a player who once said, “I do not want to go on the pitch and be a robot. I want to enjoy it.” That freedom of spirit is both his charm and his risk.

Character vs. Consistency: Can United Handle a Maverick?

While some within the game may question Cunha’s temperament, others—like Neville—embrace it. “I love a player with character,” he said. “You think about Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez, Eric Cantona and Mark Hughes… Sometimes they did the unpredictable, sometimes they lost their discipline, but they were amazing players.”

It’s a potent comparison. Cunha may not yet be in that elite bracket, but his mix of flair and fight echoes a bygone Manchester United identity. In a world where systems dominate, Cunha is refreshingly human. He thrives on chaos, inventiveness, and emotion.

This, however, also prompts a key question: can a player like Cunha flourish in an environment still trying to rediscover its own tactical and cultural compass?

United’s failure to qualify for Europe could have deterred some suitors, but not Cunha. “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,” Sky Sports News revealed. That’s belief—or possibly, bold naivety.

A Transfer Defined by Hope, Not Certainty

At 25, Cunha is reaching the peak window of his career. For United, it’s a chance to invest in flair where function has failed. “One source has told Sky Sports News the 25-year-old ‘loves United’,” and five other Premier League clubs, including Arsenal and Aston Villa, had reportedly explored the possibility of signing him. Even Saudi Pro League sides were willing to trigger his clause.

But United remain in pole position. And while there has been “no direct contact yet between United and Wolves,” that’s expected to change rapidly now the domestic season is over. With a clear release clause and mutual interest, the groundwork is in place.

For all the noise around his price tag—£62.5m or £64m depending on which figure you trust—Cunha represents something more abstract: a restoration of joy. When Neville branded the recent Manchester derby “boring,” it spoke volumes about the current state of attacking football. Cunha, at his best, is anything but boring.

He drifts, he dares, he dances. He isn’t rigidly pressed into lanes or restricted by structure. He does things you don’t expect, which can be infuriating or electrifying depending on the moment. “At times, he can appear to wander where he chooses, making decisions off the cuff. But those decisions are often thrilling,” the original Sky Sports News article reflected. In short, Cunha is the gamble that just might pay off.

But gambles, by nature, carry risk. Can United offer him the platform to grow without suffocating his creativity? Can Amorim strike the delicate balance between system and spontaneity?

Cunha’s journey, if it begins at Old Trafford this summer, will not be one of guarantees—but then, neither was Cantona’s. And history, after all, has time for the brave.

Our View – EPL Index

This news has given the fanbase a lift, and rightly so. We’ve lacked players with real drive and character, and Cunha brings both. He’s someone who enjoys the game, and that sort of passion is contagious. Let’s be honest, the past season has drained a lot of joy from watching United. If this guy can put a smile back on our faces with moments of magic, then I’m all for it.

Yes, there are risks. He can drift in and out of games, and there’s no European football to attract elite players. But the fact he’s still keen shows he wants the badge, not just the spotlight. That says a lot.

I’m expecting goals, assists, and a bit of madness – the good kind. We’ve lacked spark and unpredictability for too long. Ruben Amorim needs someone to lift the tempo and press from the front, and Cunha looks like he thrives on the chaos.

We’ve missed players who make you sit up when they get the ball. If Cunha stays fit and is used right, he could light up Old Trafford.

Let’s just hope we don’t smother him with structure and lose what makes him special.