“For Liverpool to return to the level of us and Manchester City was clearly going to require huge investment. Anfield has not moved on. Even the dressing rooms are the same as 20 years ago. My reading of their squad was that they needed eight players to come up to title-winning standard.” As Manchester United now chase the transfer of Atletico Madrid’s Matheus Cunha, Sir Alex Ferguson’s words perfectly fit the situation at Old Trafford.
If you replace Liverpool with Manchester United and Anfield with Old Trafford in Ferguson’s statement, it perfectly describes the situation of Erik Ten Hag’s men in the league. Two insipid performances in the league and a disastrous transfer window have only seen Tyrell Malacia, Lisandro Martinez, and Christian Eriksen arrive at the club.
While the defence has been the weakest link, the midfield and attack are not great either. With Mason Greenwood out of the picture, the club’s attacking options are sorely lacking. And while a deal for Frenkie de Jong is the priority, Matheus Cunha is an astute signing who could make United better. Although United need more than him to improve their squad, getting Cunha is a step in the right direction.
Matheus Cunha playing style
Last season, Atletico Madrid failed to defend their La Liga title as a rampant Real Madrid side conquered it all. However, Matheus Cunha was a revelation for the Los Colchoneros. Diego Simeone had signed him after two successful seasons at Hertha Berlin, where he scored 12 goals and provided four assists.
And Matheus Cunha was worth the €26 million that Atletico spent on him. So, what kind of player is Cunha? He can best be described as a ‘defensive forward’ like Roberto Firmino. Firmino and Cunha have played at Hertha Berlin, although at different times.
Manchester United had direct talks with Matheus Cunha’s agents as with many others in the last few days. No agreement reached with Atletico Madrid as things stand. 🚨🔴 #MUFC
Atletico want more than €50m to sell Cunha this summer. pic.twitter.com/CxPPyPH3Ma
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 15, 2022
Cunha is a cross between a centre-forward and attacking midfielder and is equally involved in scoring goals and creating them. His strong physical attributes also make him very hard to dispossess, which makes him a menace for defenders. It also helps him shield the ball, allowing him to move the play forward.
When Atletico lost the ball, Cunha immediately…
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