Matheus Cunha (26) has officially joined Manchester United.

On the 12th (Korea time), Manchester United announced on the club's website, "Cunha has signed with United. We are pleased to confirm that the acquisition of Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers has been completed. The 26-year-old Brazilian national team forward has signed a contract until June 2030, with an option to extend for an additional year."

Cunha, who will wear the coveted Manchester United uniform, said, "It's hard to put into words how I feel about becoming a player for United. I watched Premier League matches on TV at my grandmother's house in Brazil since I was a child. Since then, United has been my favorite English team, and I dreamed of wearing the red uniform. I would like to thank all those who helped me realize that dream and my family."

Cunha added, "I am looking forward to the start of the preseason. I want to get to know my teammates and prepare for the upcoming season. Now, I will work hard to become a valuable member of the team and focus all my efforts on helping this club get back to the top."

Jason Wilcox, Manchester United director, also welcomed Cunha. He said, "The signing of Cunha was one of the major priorities this summer. I am pleased that we completed the signing early." He noted, "Cunha was one of the most exciting and productive attackers in England during his time at Wolverhampton, and he proved his abilities in Spain and Germany before that. He has all the qualities needed to help build a strong, dynamic, and entertaining team that can challenge for the greatest honors."

Cunha's move to Manchester United was already a done deal. On the 1st, Manchester United announced, "We have reached an agreement with Wolverhampton for Cunha's transfer," stating that only the issuance of a visa and the official registration process remained.

Cunha, a Brazilian, is a versatile resource who can play as both a central striker and winger. He is skilled with the ball and possesses strong shooting and link-up abilities. This season, he set a career high with 17 goals and 6 assists in 36 matches, excelling as a star for Wolverhampton.

Cunha had been a highly regarded prospect in Europe since childhood. He did not excel greatly at RB Leipzig, Hertha Berlin, or Atlético Madrid, but he flourished after arriving in the Premier League. He demonstrated good chemistry with Hee-chan Hwang, combining for 5 goals together.

As a result, many Premier League big clubs were interested in him. In fact, Cunha could have transferred to Arsenal during the last winter transfer market, but he rejected calls to save Wolverhampton, who were struggling in the relegation zone. By holding onto his romantic ideals, he scored 12 goals and provided 7 assists in the Premier League, leading Wolverhampton to stay up.

Afterward, Cunha expressed his desire for a new challenge to win titles. He became a target in the transfer market again, with love calls pouring in. According to 'Sky Sports,' this summer, 5 clubs in the Premier League were pursuing Cunha's signing, including Arsenal and Aston Villa, as well as clubs from Saudi Arabia reportedly interested in triggering his buyout clause.

Despite this, Cunha's choice was Manchester United. Major British media outlets like 'BBC' and 'Sky Sports' reported that Cunha loves United, seeing no significant obstacles to the transfer. In fact, Cunha even stated that he was okay with United's failure to qualify for the UEFA Champions League.

Finally wearing the Manchester United uniform, Cunha is set to leave Wolverhampton, where he scored 33 goals in 92 matches over two and a half years, and will join United as the new number 10 starting next season. United activated his buyout clause of £62.5 million (about 115.1 billion won) and signed a contract for a basic five years with an option to extend for one more year.

Originally, the number 10 for Manchester United was 'homegrown star' Marcus Rashford. However, he has fallen into a deep slump in recent years, with controversies arising over his attitude, including enjoying drinking and partying. Although he performed well in the latter half of this season at Aston Villa, reports indicate that Manager Ruben Amorim is considering letting him go.

Cunha is expected to take the attacking midfielder role in Amorim's 3-4-2-1 formation, replacing Rashford. The BBC stated, "Cunha is considered an ideal player to play in one of the two attacking midfielder positions in Amorim's preferred 3-4-2-1 formation. He is currently playing in a similar system under manager Vitor Pereira at Wolverhampton."

'ESPN' also noted, "Amorim listed Cunha as the perfect player for one of the number 10 roles in his 3-4-3 system. Sources indicate that Manchester United has also been looking at Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze and Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo."

Manchester United hopes that Cunha, as Amorim's first major attacking signing, will solve their serious goal-scoring problems. Rasmus Højlund, who is expected to take on the role of the finisher this season, managed just 4 goals in the league, while Joshua Ζirkzee only scored 3.

As a result, Manchester United scored only 44 goals in 38 matches, finishing 16th in the Premier League standings. United must achieve different results next season with Cunha. Meanwhile, it has been reported that United is close not only to signing Cunha but also to acquiring Mbeumo, suggesting that they will form a completely new attacking line.

[Photo] Manchester United social media.

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