It is remarkable to think that Manchester United’s worst-ever Premier League season could still end in Champions League qualification, with Ruben Amorim having seemingly put all his eggs in the Europa League basket on the evidence of the weekend defeat.
Following on from Thursday’s thriller against Lyon, the Portuguese coach put out a much-changed side for the visit of Wolverhampton Wanderers, having handed a first-team debut to 20-year-old, Tyler Fredricson at centre-back.
While the academy star – alongside teenager, Harry Amass – caught the eye as part of a makeshift back five, it was again the attacking unit that came under fire, with Sunday’s 1-0 loss representing the 13th time this season that United have failed to score in a top-flight game.
With the Red Devils in desperate need of a solution to those attacking woes, it does appear that one of the men who lined up against them at Old Trafford could be on his way to Manchester this summer, with Matheus Cunha seemingly the first concrete target to emerge.
Latest on Man Utd's pursuit of Matheus Cunha
It was reported by The Athletic earlier this month that Amorim’s side are keen on bringing the Brazilian to the Theatre of Dreams in order to bolster one of the two number ten berths, with the former Atletico Madrid man having now scored 14 league goals this season for the Old Gold.
That has since been followed by claims from transfer guru Fabrizio Romano which suggest that United are actually leading the race for the 25-year-old’s signature, with negotiations currently ongoing regarding a potential summer move.
Cunha did only sign a new contract in January, amid interest from the likes of Nottingham Forest at the time, albeit having since outlined his desire to “take the next step” in his career.
A possible exit from Molineux would appear to be on the cards if any interested party opts to trigger his reported £62.5m release clause, with Wolves having originally forked out around £44m to snap the forward up permanently in the summer of 2023.
A major benefit to United would be that Cunha is reportedly still interested in the move even if Champions League qualification is not secured, although he may not be the only Premier League target under consideration at present.
Man Utd seeking Cunha alternatives
It was reported in recent weeks that United view Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo as a potential alternative to Cunha, provided they can’t get a deal done for the Brazil star, with the Cameroonian forward having dazzled for the Bees in recent seasons.
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Indeed, that has been followed by more recent claims in Spain, which suggest that INEOS still want to sign the 25-year-old this summer, having ‘set their sights’ on the in-form left-footer.
As per the report, it is claimed that ‘discussions could intensify’ over the next few weeks, with Mbeumo seemingly open to taking on a new challenge after spending the past six years in west London.
In terms, of an asking price, the former Troyes ace could potentially be up for grabs for around £50m-£55m, as per prior claims, with the versatile forward set to enter into the final year of his contract next season – albeit with Thomas Frank’s side holding the option of a 12-month extension.
How Mbeumo compares to Cunha
It is worth stating that either Cunha or Mbeumo would likely represent an upgrade on Amorim’s current attacking options, with Bruno Fernandes currently the top scorer in the league this season for United, with just eight league goals.
Alejandro Garnacho, meanwhile, has scored just five league goals in 2024/25, while Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund have netted just six times between them. Mason Mount, for instance, has scored just one goal in total since signing back in 2023.
That emphasises the need for at least one new recruit this summer, although if it is to come down to either one of Cunha and Mbeumo, it could well be argued that the latter man would be the better signing.
Indeed, the France-born speedster can operate centrally or on the flanks – like Cunha – thus making him a perfect option for any of the attacking roles in Amorim’s 3-4-3 set-up, with his form this season, in particular, seeing the Bees star emerge as “one of the best players in the Premier League”, according to Sky Sports’ Dan Bardell.
That statement has certainly been justified considering that Mbeumo has even eclipsed Cunha’s return after netting 18 goals in the Premier League in 2024/25 alone. To put that into context, Marcus Rashford has never surpassed 17 top-flight goals in a campaign.
A return of 24 Premier League goal involvements in total follows the winger’s record of 16 and 15 goals and assists across the previous two campaigns, respectively, having now consistently delivered at top-flight level.
As noted in the table below, it is also the Brentford man who appears to provide that greater creative quality, as evidenced by his superior record with regard to big chances created and key passes per game, thus representing a real all-rounder in the forward line.
Games (starts)
28 (25)
33 (33)
Goals
14
18
Big chances missed
2
8
Assists
4
6
Big chances created
12
16
Key passes*
1.7
1.9
Pass accuracy*
78%
75%
Balls recovered*
4.1
4.2
Tackles*
1.2
1.2
Interceptions*
0.6
0.4
While the case of Mount may be something of a concern, it could be argued that United have too often ignored or opted against signing players from within the Premier League, having repeatedly looked to the Eredivisie, for instance, during Erik ten Hag’s time in charge.
Now, under the new INEOS and Amorim regime, things need to be done differently, hence why turning to Mbeumo or Cunha could well be a real masterstroke.
The Wolves star would be a statement signing in his own right, although on current form, might his attacking counterpart be an even better addition?
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