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Five PL clubs want to sign Cunha this summer amid Saudi interest

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Five Premier League clubs, including Manchester United, want to sign Matheus Cunha this summer.

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Matheus Cunha celebrates after Wolves' 2-0 win over Midlands rivals Aston Villa © PA

Five Premier League clubs, including Manchester United, want to sign Matheus Cunha this summer.

Arsenal and Aston Villa are among the clubs that have held exploratory talks about signing the Brazil international this year.

Saudi Pro League clubs are also now willing to trigger his £64m release clause.

Cunha thinks United are one of the biggest clubs in the world and their current Premier League position - they are currently one place above Wolves in 14th - would not put him off a potential move to Old Trafford.

One source has told Sky Sports News the 25-year-old "loves United".

Cunha will leave Wolves this summer if the clause is triggered.

The forward, signed from Atletico Madrid in 2022 for a fee of around £34m, has registered 26 goals and 11 assists in 60 Premier League games.

Neville: Cunha would suit Amorim's system

Ex-Man Utd defender Gary Neville speaking to Sky Sports News:

"They're 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.

CUNHA STATS

"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.

Cunha stats

"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."

Sky Sports News senior reporter Melissa Reddy:

Cunha has given Manchester United positive indications that he is interested in joining them from Wolves.

As underlined by Sky Sports News last week, the 25-year-old ranks high among United's targets to fortify Ruben Amorim's attack.

Cunha's explosiveness as a No 10 in the same system Amorim uses, aligned with his ability to operate anywhere across the forward line, makes him very attractive to a side desperate for goals, creativity and dynamism in ball progression.

He has been filed as a player who could instantly improve United, and his experience in different leagues and countries - Brazil, Switzerland, Germany, Spain and England - points to having the strength of character to adapt and thrive in contrasting conditions.

Cunha's loss of emotional control, which has led to suspensions, has been viewed as an anomaly rather than the norm during his career. There is a view he can learn to channel that fiery side to further improve his game.

Cunha is one of a number of attacking options United are considering this summer, with Victor Osimhen and Liam Delap also among those featuring in their thinking.

Matheus Cunha is a transfer target for Man Utd
Image: Cunha is a transfer target for Man Utd this summer

Sky Sports' Adam Bate:

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.

Read Adam Bate's full feature on Cunha here.

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