Manchester United supporters had their first chance to see Matheus Cunha in action for the club in their friendly clash with Leeds United on Saturday.
The Red Devils were held to a 0-0 draw by the Championship champions, who will be in the Premier League next season, and the Brazil international started the match.
Cunha played the opening 45 minutes of the match, as one of the two number tens behind Chido Obi Martin, before being replaced by Mason Mount at the break.
In those 45 minutes, the former Wolverhampton Wanderers man completed 92% of his attempted passes for the Red Devils, but failed to create any chances or register a shot on goal.
These games are largely about building up fitness for Ruben Amorim’s side, though, and United supporters will know that there is not too much you can read into that performance, as it was his first outing in pre-season after playing for Brazil over the summer.
The exciting forward is already a proven Premier League performer who has been there and done it with Wolves in the division, which suggests that he will be fine when the real action gets underway.
What Matheus Cunha will bring to Man Utd
Amorim will be hoping that Cunha will provide a huge threat at the top end of the pitch as both a scorer and a creator of goals, whether that is as a number ten or as a centre-forward, as he has played in both positions in his career.
Cunha produced an impressive return of 17 goals and six assists in all competitions for the Old Gold in the 2024/25 campaign, whilst he was unfortunate to only register six assists based on the quality of chances that the forward created.
The former Atletico Madrid starlet created 13 ‘big chances’ for his teammates in the Premier League, but his teammates only managed to find the back of the net six times. This suggests that wasteful finishing from his fellow forwards let him down in that respect.
Appearances
32
33
xG
9.49
8.63
Goals
12
15
Big chances created
7
13
Key passes per game
0.9
1.8
Assists
7
6
As you can see in the table above, Cunha also scored 27 goals in the Premier League in the last two seasons, which shows that he knows how to find the back of the net on his own, outperforming his xG in both campaigns.
The 26-year-old attacker, therefore, is likely to bring goals and assists to the United team next season, given that he has already proven his quality in the division and could hit the ground running without having to adapt to the league.
It remains to be seen who the club’s first-choice number nine will be, though, and the Red Devils are reportedly interested in a Premier League striker who could be lethal with Cunha.
Man Utd hold talks to sign Premier League striker
According to BBC Sport journalist Nizaar Kinsella, Chelsea centre-forward Nicolas Jackson is a potential signing that Manchester United could make before the end of the summer transfer window.
The reporter claims that the Premier League giants have “held talks” with the player’s agent about a possible transfer for the Senegal international, who is facing increased competition for his place at Stamford Bridge.
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Chelsea have signed Liam Delap and Joao Pedro to bolster their number nine options ahead of next season, which could open the door for United to swoop in for his services.
Kinsella adds that the club will have to do “a lot” in terms of outgoings before being able to pursue a deal for Jackson, but that it is a move that could happen in the “right circumstances”.
The BBC reporter does not reveal how much Chelsea would want for the 24-year-old number nine, but it has previously been reported that the Blues value him at up to £100m.
Why Man Utd should sign Nicolas Jackson
If the Red Devils can reach an agreement with Chelsea for a fee that works for all parties, United should push to bring Jackson to Old Trafford because he could be lethal alongside Cunha.
Jackson is far from the perfect centre-forward, and that is to be expected at the age of 24, but he is a player who has scored goals at a respectable rate during his time in England.
A haul of 30 goals and 11 assists in his first two years in English football in all competitions is nothing to be sniffed at. He has shown that he can make a big impact in front of goal, but it is his consistency that needs work.
It is hardly a secret that the Senegal international is not a world-class finisher who is going to score week-in-week-out without getting regular service from creative midfielders, which is why he could be lethal alongside Cunha.
As aforementioned, the Brazil international has showcased his creative quality in the Premier League during his time with Wolves, which suggests that he has the ability to consistently create ‘big chances’ for Jackson to find the back of the net.
Appearances
35
30
xG
18.64
12.34
Goals
14
10
Minutes per goal
200
224
Big chances created
8
6
Assists
5
5
As you can see in the table above, the Chelsea striker has hit double figures for goals in both of his seasons in the top-flight, but he has also underperformed his xG both times.
This shows that Jackson, who was hailed as “unbelievable” by Peter Crouch, does have the quality to score goals on a regular basis, whilst also creating high-quality opportunities for his teammates, but he needs plenty of service to do so.
That is why he could be lethal alongside Cunha in the final third for United because the Brazilian magician has the creative quality to provide Jackson with the chances that he needs to score regularly.
Overall, whilst the Chelsea forward may not be the perfect option, given his finishing issues, he is a Premier League proven goalscorer who could come in to hit the ground running alongside Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.
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