Manchester United’s first signing of the summer looks destined to be Matheus Cunha from Wolves.
The deal has looked like a guarantee for months, since Matheus Cunha came to Old Trafford with Ruben Amorim paying special attention to the Brazilian.
It emerged earlier this week that United had agreed to pay Cunha’s release fee over the course of three years, in full by the end of the 2026-27 season.
This makes the signing imminent, with Cunha confirming the move himself during an interview at the Molineux, admitting he wanted to achieve success and help Amorim conquer the world.
However, since all of this broke earlier this week, it has been silent around the deal as fans wait for news on his medical. Now, Fabrizio Romano has revealed the issues behind the delay.
The latest in Manchester United’s signing of Matheus Cunha
The deal to sign Cunha is completed; however, with the delay, many people will be getting concerned about whether there are issues preventing United from making it official.
But Romano has put minds at ease over the situation, admitting that the deal is done, with just one thing holding up confirmation.
“Matheus Cunha to Manchester United is a here we go, it is a done deal, but many United fans keep asking me ‘where is Matheus Cunha?’.
“This is due to him having no medical, no deal signed, and no official statement or formal steps. But I can clarify now that it is just about waiting for a visa. Cunha is waiting for his visa while United are preparing for the medical and the contract signing, and then for sure, the formal steps will be completed.
“They are coordinating with the Brazilian national team staff, because Cunha is set to join the national team with Carlo Ancelotti. They are working on the location and on every single step. But Cunha will be a United player, don’t worry about that, United have already started exchanging documents with Wolves.”
This will come as brilliant news for United, after worries that a deal might have been at risk. It is a relatively simple problem to solve, which should see United complete the signing next week at the latest.
Cunha was called into the Brazil squad by new head coach Carlo Ancelotti, which will give United fans a chance to see him in action in June.
Manchester United won’t be rushing to confirm Matheus Cunha
While solving the release clause is no big issue for United, there are reasons that Ineos won’t be desperate to complete the signing in a rush.
With everything agreed, Cunha will become a United player, and this won’t start until July anyway, when pre-season commences. However, speaking with the United Stand, Ben Jacobs has revealed that there could also be PSR reasons at play.
On July 1st, the 2025-26 PSR year begins, and by waiting until then to complete the move, United will be able to put the expenditure into next year’s books, therefore avoiding any possible ramifications for the 2024-25 spending.
Therefore, it may be that Cunha’s contract is not starting until July 1st, meaning there is absolutely zero incentive for Ineos to rush things through.
However, rest assured, the Brazilian will be wearing red come August.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
