Manchester United considering summer moves for Matheus Cunha and Liam Delap

Manchester United are considering a summer move for Matheus Cunha to supplement their aims of getting more goals in Ruben Amorim’s team.

Liam Delap is high in thoughts at United to come in as striker, while Cunha is seen as potentially a good fit for one of the No 10 positions.

Signing both players is viewed as plausible if United are able to sell well, while other attacking options are being explored for both forward roles and plenty of talks on targets are anticipated.

Figures at United are acutely aware of the need to boost the potency of options available to Amorim, whose team are on course to score 45 Premier League goals this season – which would be a club record low. They are looking at possibly adding two attackers.

Cunha has scored 25 Premier League goals in 58 appearances in his last two seasons at Wolverhampton Wanderers and has performed well when facing United. There is a £62.5million release clause in the contract he signed in January, making the parameters clear from the outset and speeding up the process. Wolves would want to be paid in full, although there is likely to be flexibility around instalments.

Cunha, who turns 26 in May, is regarded at United as a player at his peak who could make an instant impact, adding more experience than the younger profile of recruitment they are prioritising.

Cunha has spoken of his desire to challenge himself after staying at Wolves during the winter window. “I had a lot of offers but I wouldn’t feel well if I had done it,” he told the Guardian in March. “Some things you can’t control but I couldn’t leave the club in the middle of the season, in a difficult situation, in the relegation zone. But I’ve made it clear that I need to take the next step. I want to fight for titles, for big things. I have potential.”

The Brazil international has previously attracted interest from Arsenal and Nottingham Forest, and Wolves would prefer an early resolution to his situation once the market opens on June 1, which complicates matters for United due to their tight finances and the need to raise funds through sales of Marcus Rashford, Antony, Jadon Sancho, and Tyrell Malacia.

Aston Villa have a £40m buy option in their Rashford loan agreement, while Chelsea’s £25m obligation on Sancho is set to kick in, albeit they can pay a £5m fee to waive the transfer. Real Betis are very happy with Antony’s loan and might look at a permanent move.

Another factor for United to weigh up is Cunha’s wages, thought to be around £150,000 per week due to the terms he agreed amid interest three months ago. The expected departures of Christian Eriksen, Victor Lindelof, Johnny Evans and Tom Heaton when their terms expire at the end of the campaign will free up space on the wage bill, but Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants United to stay disciplined on salaries.

Delap’s relegation release clause of around £30m, combined with his record of 12 Premier League goals for a struggling Ipswich side, makes him an appealing proposition for United, whose technical director Jason Wilcox signed Delap for Manchester City’s academy. But Chelsea are ready to rival United for Delap, who is set to be a target for several teams in England and abroad.

Benjamin Sesko and Victor Osimhen represent other striker options for United, with both expected to be available in the summer window, albeit more expensive than Delap.

Rasmus Hojlund (three in 26 games), Joshua Zirkzee (three in 31) and Alejandro Garnacho (four in 30), United’s principle fit forwards, have scored a combined 10 Premier League goals this term.

Cunha has perfect profile for an elite forward

Analysis by Mark Carey

Pushing his temperament to one side for a moment, there is little doubt that Matheus Cunha has been Wolves’s talisman this season. Having barely played as an out-and-out striker, a return of 13 Premier League goals shows how much he has shouldered the attacking responsibility to help his side stave off relegation.

Playing as a left-sided No 10, Cunha’s intelligence to drift into pockets of space will often mean that all attacking roads lead through the Brazil international. As well as his goal haul, no Wolves player has created more open-play chances or generated a higher expected assists tally. Ideally, you would clone Cunha and play them both — one to craft the chance and the other to finish.

With a deftness of touch that often belies his 6ft frame, the 25-year-old will often look to drive his team forward single-handedly with his close control. His 118 take-ons in the Premier League is higher than any other player in the Wolves squad — for context, no other team-mate has broken a century.

Manchester United have witnessed his cheeky, South American flair first-hand after Cunha’s Olimpico goal gave Wolves the lead in their Boxing Day clash this season. With Ruben Amorim’s side in desperate need of a player to stitch their attack together, Cunha could be the perfect player to line the midfield and forward line — particularly given that he is adept at playing in a 3-4-2-1 system.

Capable of playing anywhere across the front line, Cunha offers versatility, creativity, and goalscoring ability. The perfect combination for an elite forward.

Why is a new No 10 important for Amorim?

Analysis from Laurie Whitwell

Cunha’s familiarity with that position behind the striker in a 3-4-2-1 formation enhances his appeal for United, who want adaptable players but also need new signings to hit the ground running. Cunha’s record against United inevitably colours perceptions too. He terrorised Erik ten Hag’s side when running from midfield on the opening day of the 2023-24 season and, of course, scored direct from a corner past Andre Onana at Molineux this term.

Cunha’s ball-carrying is an important aspect to consider in an Amorim system. Usually Amorim has a blend in his No 10s, one a creator, the other tasked with running beyond. Cunha could offer a bit of both, but his ability to go past opponents would add dynamism and, importantly, he can carry a scoring edge.

There may be questions about temperament given his bans for reactions against Ipswich and Bournemouth, and his work off the ball at Wolves left some staff wanting more. But he has 12 and 13 Premier League goals in consecutive seasons, after getting two in 17 games while on loan for half a campaign, which is proof of his pedigree. Rasmus Hojlund got 10 Premier League goals last term, but only three this year, while Alejandro Garnacho, who plays as the ball-carrying No 10 under Amorim, has seven and four.

Is Cunha’s character a concern?

Analysis from Steve Madeley

Tactically, Matheus Cunha would be a plug-and-play signing for Amorim’s United.

Wolves head coach Vitor Pereira plays the same 3-4-3 system as his fellow Portuguese and Cunha has thrived on the left side of the front three with licence to drift in-field, drop deep and operate as one of two No 10s behind a central striker.

And even before Pereira, in a slightly different system under Gary O’Neil, Cunha occupied a very similar role.

The big question marks will be about Cunha’s character after he was suspended for a total of six games this season after two huge losses of emotional control.
He cannot deny that the red mist can descend. Fans have seen it with their own eyes.

Cunha was given a four-game suspension after his red card against Bournemouth (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

But it is a phenomenon that has only emerged this season at Wolves.

In the previous 18 months he was seen as a warm, personable member of the dressing room and was a popular figure among coaching staff and fellow players.
If he can channel that side of his personality, he is an asset on and off the field.

Delap’s combative streak makes him such a tough opponent

Analysis by Daniel Taylor

Delap is capable of scoring all sorts of goals — headers, penalty-box finishes, long-range shooting — and has benefited from hours on the training ground at Ipswich with coach, Lee Grant — the former Manchester United goalkeeper — who specialises with the team’s attacking players and was once a team-mate of Delap’s father, Rory, at Stoke City.

Grant has worked closely with Delap on every aspect of his performance, including the right way to channel his physicality and unsettle opponents with his powerful build.

He has the second-highest number of carries among strikers in the Premier League this season (72) and his average carry distance of 7.3 metres is the highest of any centre-forward in the league. Even when he does not score, his combative streak makes him such a difficult opponent that it creates space for others.

The end result is a player who has established himself as a proven Premier League forward at an age when there is still scope for considerable improvement.

Top image: Cunha (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images), Delap (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

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