Cunha joins Manchester United, bolstering attack with transfer from Wolverhampton

Manchester United (Man U) is on the verge of bolstering its attacking force. The team is set to sign Brazilian striker Matheus Cunha (26, Wolverhampton Wanderers), a former teammate of Hwang Hee-chan.

Transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano noted on the 26th (Korean time) that "Cunha is transferring to Man U. A verbal agreement has been reached among all relevant parties," and he added, "Here we go!"

According to Romano, Cunha will sign a contract with Man U until June 2030. A 1-year extension option is also included. Wolverhampton is expected to receive the £62.5 million (approximately 115.7 billion won) buyout amount through partitioning. The official procedures and contract between the clubs are expected to be completed next week.

To avoid the Premier League's revenue and sustainability regulations (PSR), Man U plans to pay the transfer fee over 3 to 4 years.

This year, Man U was blocked from winning against Tottenham in the UEFA Europa League (UEL) final. They also failed to secure a place in the Champions League. The resulting loss amounts to about £100 million (approximately 185.1 billion won).

Despite this, Cunha chose to join Man U. Major media outlets such as "BBC" and "Sky Sports" reported that "Cunha showed strong determination regarding his transfer to Man U." The failure of Man U to qualify for the Champions League did not prevent his decision.

According to "Sky Sports," Cunha received offers from Arsenal, Aston Villa, and Saudi Arabian clubs but chose Man U. An official announcement is expected when the transfer market opens.

Cunha has made 36 league appearances for Wolverhampton this season, scoring 17 goals and providing 6 assists, establishing himself as the team's ace. He is a multi-resource capable of playing both as a central striker and a winger. With solid individual skills, shooting ability, and playmaking capability, he is seen as a resource of high tactical utility in the Man U system under coach Ruben Amorim.

"BBC" evaluated that "Cunha is an ideal player to play as an attacking midfielder in Amorim's preferred 3-4-2-1 formation." Given that he is already performing in a similar system at Wolverhampton, it seems there will be no significant issues adapting to Man U.

Since joining Wolverhampton in 2023, Cunha has scored 33 goals and provided 15 assists in 90 matches. He showcased good synergy by collaborating on 5 goals with Hwang Hee-chan. Although he did not stand out significantly during his time at RB Leipzig, Hertha Berlin, and Atletico Madrid, he has started to unleash his potential in the Premier League.

Even in last winter's transfer market, he attracted interest from Arsenal. Struggling with injuries in the attacking line, Arsenal reached out to Cunha, but he chose to remain with Wolverhampton, which was close to the relegation zone at the time. He turned down their interest to help the team stay up. He then led the team to survival and expressed his desire to transfer, stating in an interview with the Guardian last month that "I want to compete on a bigger stage now."

Man U hopes to improve its weak attacking power through Cunha. This season, Rasmus Hojlund scored 4 league goals and Joshua Zirkzee only 3. The team managed to score 44 goals in 38 matches, finishing 16th in the scoring rankings.

Man U showed interest in Cunha in 2022 as well. At that time, they contacted Cunha's agent, who was with Atletico Madrid, but negotiations fell through over the transfer fee issue. He then moved to Wolverhampton. Now, he is set to reunite with Man U after three years.

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