Amorim in dreamland as blockbuster transfer gets major green light and Arsenal hijack FAILS

Manchester United are reportedly on the cusp of dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s over a deal to bring Matheus Cunha to Old Trafford after reports in Brazil revealed the larger-than-expected asking price they are now paying after a late hijack from Arsenal was vetoed.

The Red Devils have slumped badly in the Premier League this season with their dire form potentially landing them in relegation danger in any other season. Thankfully for Manchester United, though, the form of the three sides promoted to the top flight last season has ensured INEOS have not overseen a total disaster in their first full season at the helm.

And while the club can still, somewhat remarkably, salvage their season with Europa League glory, they are all too aware that serious improvements right across the board must be made this summer to drag the club back into the upper echelons of the Premier League.

With manager Ruben Amorim set to be backed with hard cash and given the financial backing to bring in players who can bring his 3-4-2-1 vision to life, reports over the last fortnight have outlined how the first of those deals, for Cunha, already looks close.

The Brazilian has enjoyed an excellent season with Wolves, who rewarded him with a new deal back in February, but inserted an exit clause allowing him to leave Molineux for £62.5m.

Now, according to Brazilian journalist Valentin Furlan, who works for Goal Brasil, United have made a serious breakthrough in talks for Cunha.

And he claims on X that United have both close to a verbal agreement to sign the player with Wolves and are also on the cusp of agreeing on personal terms with the player.

Moreover, Furlan claims that United have been forced to hold off an 11th-hour move by Arsenal to try and hijack the deal, with Cunha clear in his mind that he only wants to move to Old Trafford, having been sold the INEOS vision by director of recruitment Christopher Vivell and technical director Jason Wilcox.

With talks now ‘moving fast’ Furlan, however, does claim that his transfer fee is ‘expected to hit’ €74m, plus a potential further €6m for Wolves in bonus payments, taking United’s total outlay to £67.3m ($89m) – the sixth biggest transfer in the club’s history.

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With TEAMtalk previously revealing Wolves were unwilling to compromise on the £62.5m fee in Cunha’s release clause, the new bonus payment should at least ensure that United can stagger their payments to Wolves over the course of the five-year deal he is expected to sign at Old Trafford.

And with 23-goal involvements (17 scored, six assists) in 34 games this season, United will hope Cunha can bring the X-factor to their attacking line-up which, other than a heavy-reliance on Bruno Fernandes this season, has been badly missing.

Fabrizio Romano also revealed last month that there is strong optimism that Cunha will make the move to United this summer.

“Manchester United are making progress on a daily basis on the Matheus Cunha deal, very positive conversations,” Romano previously revealed.

“Manchester United management, Ruben Amorim, who is fully involved in this process, they are all looking in the same direction.”

Romano continued: “The Champions League is not deal deal-breaker for the player.

“Matheus Cunha is still ready to accept the proposal from Manchester United. They need more, at least one more meeting, to fix some details. But my understanding is that United want to make it happen as soon as possible.”

And according to The Telegraph, Cunha will agree a deal worth around £200,000 a week – more than double the £90,000 a week base salary he currently receives at Molineux.

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Meanwhile, United have been given fresh hope that a deal for a quality Ligue 1 goalkeeper – described as a world leader in his field – could be ON after the player came clean on his hopes of moving to the Premier League and amid claims a big-money switch to Old Trafford is gathering pace.

United have also taken a big step closer towards the signing of Liam Delap after learning they are now the striker’s favoured destination this summer.

Elsewhere, United are also very much looking at several midfield targets for the summer window, and our transfer correspondent Rudy Galetti has revealed Amorim has his eyes firmly set on an £80m-rated Premier League star – though there are other options too, with two other stars also under consideration.

And finally, we have taken a look at the amazing XI United could field next season if Amorim claims Europa League glory and brings UCL football back to Old Trafford.

How Cunha fits in at Man Utd

By Samuel Bannister

After two-and-a-half seasons in the Premier League with Wolves, Cunha appears destined to take the next step in his career this summer. But after carving out a niche in a system built around him at Molineux, how would he adapt elsewhere?

A versatile attacker, Cunha’s ability to play in different positions could be a help or a hindrance when he fights for his place at his next club.

Most of his appearances this season have come in a no.10 role, behind a main striker. There would be two roles of that sort up for grabs at Man Utd if Ruben Amorim sticks with his preferred 3-4-2-1 formation. And given that he has stuck with it while United have been struggling, it seems safe to assume he’ll remain faithful to that system after having the chance to cater his squad to it in the summer transfer market.

That’s why someone like Cunha is a key target. As a right-footer, he could comfortably operate in either of the no.10 roles, presumably the left-sided one, which is the flank he played on before back in his Bundesliga days with Hertha Berlin, cutting inside to score and create.

A glance at Cunha’s heat map (courtesy of SofaScore) this season shows his tendency to drift on the left-hand side, inside the opponent’s half. It could make him a perfect fit for a system with two no.10s, rather than just one central attacking midfielder.

But Cunha has also played as a centre-forward before. United are in the market for a new striker this summer due to the struggles of Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, but depending on what movement happens there, Cunha could represent an option to lead the line. It’s not where his best form comes – he actually averages more goals as a no.10 – but it’s not totally alien to him either.

And in the unlikely event Amorim was to change United’s formation, Cunha could be a left winger in a 4-3-3 or a lone no.10 in a 4-2-3-1. As mentioned, though, 3-4-2-1 is the system to expect.

It would be most natural for Cunha to play in behind a striker, without the pressure of being the main goal getter, but with the trust to contribute significantly in attack.

Despite usually occupying that supporting role for Wolves, he often breaks into the box for shots or plays a crucial pass from just outside it. The balance between the number of shots he takes from outside the box and inside the box is almost even, which implies his confidence and danger.

About 7% of his touches are in the opposition box, which is a proportion around double what United’s best attacking midfielder, Bruno Fernandes, manages (although Fernandes has sometimes had to play in a deeper midfield role). More than half of Cunha’s passes are in the opposition half, which even Zirkzee and Hojlund can’t say.

In short, Cunha is a player who can link up well in critical attacking areas and has a range of attributes that may benefit United, especially if he is deployed in his best position as a supporting striker.

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