According to Fabrizio Romano, Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Matheus Cunha has agreed to a five-year deal with Manchester United. The transfer fee is reported as £62.5 million (EUR 74 million), making it United’s most expensive transfer of the Ruben Amorim era, following the signing of Patrick Dorgu in February for £25 million.
This signing follows the most disastrous season in Manchester United’s Premier League era. Certainly, the worst season in the memory of the majority of fans. The Europa League birthed miracles in Old Trafford, but United’s second outing to Bilbao proved one time too many, when they lost to Tottenham Hotspur for the fourth time this season. With that defeat, the 21st of the season, any trace of a silver lining, or silverware, was brutally annihilated.
But in steps the golden boy. Matheus Cunha, golden in Brazil, golden in Wolverhampton, golden in demeanour. United have spent hundreds of millions of pounds poorly post-Ferguson, but this time, something feels different. Despite glorious victories against Arsenal in the FA Cup and epic highs of the Europa League knockout rounds, Manchester United have lost their mojo. Quality remains, even if less abundant than before. The wise Casemiro, the dynamic Diallo, and the ever-more beaten-up Bruno have provided just enough buoyancy to keep United heads above surface. But even Bruno Fernandes, the main man, captain, only real world-class talent at the club, and from all acords outstanding human being, doesn’t have the arrogance he once held. In interviews, he appears broken, every fixture appearing more feeble and grey.
But Matheus has mojo, maybe even enough to go around the whole team.
An eye-catching statistic has been floating around X (formerly Twitter) ever since Cunha has been linked to the Red Devils. No player spent a greater percentage of his time walking in the 2024/25 season (77.1% [BBC]). This stat has been used to humiliate United Fans even before Cunha has been assigned a squad number, feeding the narrative of United spending heavily on players lacking character. It seems rather funny, considering the second player on this list is Virgil van Dijk. Moreover, memory recalls a diminutive Argentinian who spent a fair amount of time walking around as well. What this says about Cunha, is that he knows what he wants to do, and when, and he is more than confident enough to execute it.
Since the start of last season, no other Brazilian player across Europe’s top 5 leagues has scored more goals than Cunha, in a cohort including Gabriel Martinelli of Arsenal, Vinicius Jr. of Real Madrid, and Ballon d’Or contender Raphina of Barcelona. Not to mention, Cunha did this all in the Wolverhampton team that finished 16th, and has a Squad Market Value 600 million EUR cheaper than Raphina’s Barcelona (transfermarkt).
What has led to Bruno Fernandes’ reputation with the majority of viewers as the best United signing post-Ferguson has been his ability to grab games by the scruff of the neck and drag the 10 other downtrodden players to glory. This is a trait of any United legend, from Best to Cantona, to Cristiano. These players were labelled as pre-Madonnas, or mavericks by some, but check any list of the top 100 players in football history, and you’re more than likely to find all three on there. Anyone who has watched Wolves this season has seen this scruff-grabbing character in Cunha as well.
So, what’s the bottom line? United has a problem. A big problem. One of those main problems is identity. Another is scoring goals. The golden boy from João Pessoa has both abilities in spades and has had them since his professional debut.
Maybe the Red Devils should not dare to dream. But if, like me, you need a reason to leap out of bed in the morning, in a blatant rejection of nihilism, then why not allow Matheus Cunha to be one’s raison d’être?
As Cardinal Lawrence wisely put it in 2024’s Conclave,
“Our faith is a living thing precisely because it walks hand-in-hand with doubt. If there were only certainty and no doubt, there would be no mystery—and therefore no need for faith.”
There is no beauty in football without mystery. Resultantly, my faith is in Matheus Cunha.
Notice any religious symbolism in that first photo?
Johannus Jacobus 