Ruben Amorim has already overcome one issue that Matheus Cunha faced in his playing career ahead of the Manchester United star’s first match for the club.
Matheus Cunha signed for Manchester United in June after the Red Devils triggered the 26-year-old Brazilian attacker’s £62.5m release clause when he was at Wolves.
The former Wolves ace had been linked with United in recent months and Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim is a big admirer of Cunha and the versatile forward’s abilities.
Cunha inked a five-year deal with United after his exit from Wolves and the Brazil international is Amorim’s first major signing of the summer transfer window.
The United summer signing impressed during his spell at the Molineux in the 2024-25 season and Cunha netted 17 times and picked up six assists in 36 matches.
Cunha has been tipped to be a key player for Amorim in the United manager’s tactical system and to add major firepower to the Red Devils’ attacking options.
Matheus Cunha’s weakness emerged early in his career and Ruben Amorim already knows the key detail about the Man Utd star
Matheus Cunha played under Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid ahead of him being loaned out to Wolves in January 2023, with the deal later made permanent.
The Manchester United player, who arrived at Atletico Madrid from German side Hertha Berlin in 2021, netted seven times in 54 matches for the La Liga club.
However, Cunha was unable to establish himself as a mainstay under Atletico manager Diego Simeone before he was offloaded to former side Wolves.
The ex-Atletico player’s father was critical of Simeone and he insisted that the 55-year-old Argentine manager’s “system” was the reason why his son didn’t succeed.
“With Simeone’s system, there’s no way a striker can be successful,” Carmelo Cunha told Globo Esporte in 2023, as per BeSoccer.
“It’s very difficult.”
According to FM Scout, Simeone changed up his tactics at the La Liga club in the past and shifted from a ‘long-standing 4-4-2 formation to the 3-5-2 system.’
Why Man Utd manager Ruben Amorim will avoid what Diego Simeone did with Matheus Cunha at Atletico Madrid
Cunha was able to thrive at Wolves after his spell with Atletico Madrid and the Brazil international had no love lost towards Diego Simeone after his 2023 transfer.
Ruben Amorim is expected to deploy Cunha as the left-sided No 10 in his tactical system and the former Wolves star is expected to thrive in the role.
Wolves played with a three-man backline under Vitor Pereira and Cunha did play as the left-sided No 10 in their 3-4-2-1 formation against opposition teams.
It is not only natural to assume that the former Wolves ace will slot into Amorim’s system, but the United manager has a completely different approach to Simeone.
Amorim has previously suggested that his system is exactly what it is and the formation is only a by-product of his coaching philosophy and playing style.
The 40-year-old United manager has already shown that by adapting current first-team players to his system and not immediately offloading them from Old Trafford.
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