Why does Cunha want Man Utd move and where does he fit?

"I've made it clear that I request to return nan adjacent step," Matheus Cunha told nan Guardian, external successful March. "I want to conflict for titles, for large things. I person potential."

The Brazil guardant is now group to return that adjacent measurement but it involves swapping 1 broadside who vanished successful nan Premier League's bottommost six for another, successful moving from Wolves to Manchester United successful a £62.5m transfer.

Cunha will get astatine a nine that has gone 12 years without winning a convention title, having conscionable completed a worst top-flight play since 1973-74, and wherever morale is astatine stone bottom.

So why is nan 26-year-old happy to subordinate a United broadside that vanished a monolithic 42 points down champions Liverpool?

While Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Newcastle and Tottenham are each readying for adjacent season's Champions League, United are incapable to connection caller recruits immoderate European shot - fto unsocial a spot successful Europe's premier nine competition.

Indeed, it is now much than 3 years since United past played a Champions League knockout tie.

Despite a lowly convention decorativeness and absence of European shot adjacent season, BBC Sport understands Cunha still views United arsenic a large nine - and that nan subordinate does not look astatine it arsenic a risk.

Instead Cunha, who turned 26 connected Tuesday and is successful highest form, is excited by nan tremendous situation of reviving United's fortunes.

There is simply a emotion nan move makes consciousness for each parties.

Cunha wants to move to a alleged bigger club, while Wolves get much than £60m to reinvest.

Meanwhile, Wolves person already showed they tin triumph matches without Cunha aft securing 10 points from nan 4 Premier League games he missed done suspension pursuing a red paper against Bournemouth successful nan FA Cup successful March.

United, who are group to let England guardant Marcus Rashford and Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho to time off this summer, request to boost nan options disposable to leader Ruben Amorim.

His broadside managed conscionable 44 top-flight goals successful 2024-25 - a club-record debased successful nan Premier League era. Ipswich Town guardant Liam Delap, external and Brentford guardant Bryan Mbeumo person besides been linked.

Cunha has 27 goals successful 65 Premier League appearances complete nan past 2 seasons and is regarded astatine United arsenic personification who tin make an instant impact, while astatine nan aforesaid clip adhd acquisition to nan team.

"United are fortunate they still person their historical entreaty and estimation arsenic a club, truthful players of nan Brazilian's value and imaginable want to move there," erstwhile England midfielder Fara Williams told BBC Sport.

"If he does, location is nary uncertainty he improves nan squad."

Creativity, activity and crisp finishing - Cunha's flair and thrust person often made nan quality successful tight games.

He has been nan heartbeat of Wolves' attacking threat, scoring important goals, linking up play and unpicking defences pinch moments of individual brilliance.

In addition, 2024-25 saw him adjacent nan grounds for nan astir goals scored by a Brazilian subordinate successful a Premier League play on pinch Roberto Firmino (2017-18) and Gabriel Martinelli (2022-23).

"Cunha has everything a United squad would want," added Williams.

"You cannot mobility nan qualities he possesses and nan cognition he has in-game successful position of wanting to do thing to win."

Cunha said astir leaving down nan sadness of his clip astatine Atletico Madrid aft initially joining Wolves connected indebtedness successful December 2022 earlier making nan move imperishable nan pursuing summer.

He first played arsenic a number 9 astatine Wolves but those who person watched him regularly complete nan past mates of years opportunity his champion position is arsenic a left-sided number 10.

His earthy inclination is to travel heavy and get nan ball, and his strengths see moving astatine defenders and finishing.

His 2024-25 numbers lucifer up to those of Bruno Fernandes, arguably United's champion player.

Cunha scored six times from extracurricular nan container - nan aforesaid number arsenic Fernandes managed successful each competitions. Cunha besides registered 51 attempts connected target successful each competitions - again, nan aforesaid number arsenic Fernandes managed.

He also, however, spent much of his clip connected nan transportation stepping than immoderate different outfield subordinate successful nan Premier League this play astatine 77%.

Some sources astatine Wolves will beryllium watching intimately really Cunha fares astatine United - immoderate astatine nan nine person questioned his attitude.

Cunha lashed retired astatine Bournemouth's Milos Kerkez 3 times successful March - fighting and kicking retired astatine him earlier aiming a headbutt erstwhile nan Hungary full-back sewage backmost to his feet.

A fewer weeks earlier, he was banned for 2 games by nan Football Association aft clashing pinch a personnel of Ipswich Town's unit and snatching his glasses disconnected his face.

Has Cunha's temperament discouraged clubs who will beryllium playing successful Europe adjacent play from pursuing him?

Other clubs considered a move for him successful January, including Arsenal who decided against it, pinch immoderate liking from others successful nan Premier League's apical seven, too.

However, location were less options for nan guardant this summer, pinch immoderate suggesting it came down to a prime betwixt United aliases a move to a nine successful Saudi Arabia.

"There person been a mates of incidents this play astir Matheus Cunha's characteristic that would make you pause," Rory Smith, shot analogous for The Observer, said successful April connected The Monday Night Club.

"Two reasonably spectacular tantrums, is tantrums nan correct word?

"If you are Arsenal aliases whoever and you person sewage 3 aliases 4 striking targets... that is going to beryllium a elephantine cross. That will beryllium nan mobility people pinch Cunha."

However, Chris Sutton, who won nan Premier League pinch Blackburn Rovers successful 1994-95, disagreed.

"It's not a mobility mark," he said connected nan aforesaid show. "It's for illustration saying don't motion Wayne Rooney backmost successful nan day."

Williams believes Cunha's frustrations person stemmed from "being successful a relegation conflict for agelong periods and playing alongside players you are amended than".

She added: "Cunha would bring a large boost to United.

"If they were to enlistee different players alongside him, I deliberation you would spot that vexation a batch less.

"I really for illustration him arsenic a subordinate and deliberation he would beryllium a existent affirmative for Ruben Amorim."