Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has explained why he thinks Matheus Cunha’s arrival will lead to two stars leaving this summer.
On Sunday, Man Utd announced the signing of Cunha in the most expensive transfer of this summer’s transfer window *so far*.
The Red Devils made the versatile attacker their No.1 target and activated his £62.5m release clause after he contributed 17 goals and six assists for Wolves in all competitions during the 2024/25 campaign.
This is a key signing for Man Utd as they have been toothless in attack under Ruben Amorim and Cunha fits perfectly into the head coach’s 3-4-3 system.
Ferdinand has given a few reasons why he thinks Cunha will be a great signing for Man Utd.
“He needs to reboot this attack. We don’t look like we’re going to score goals in open play unless it’s Bruno [Fernandes] or maybe Amad [Diallo],” Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel.
“We’ve taken Wolves’ top goalscorer this season. He’s got 16 goals to his name in all competitions.
“He’s one of the players that I mentioned a few weeks ago: if I had a shopping list, he would be on there.
“He knows the Premier League so he doesn’t need any adaptation time.
“This is a huge factor… if you’re going to buy players from foreign leagues, players that don’t have the experience in the Premier League, there is always a risk.
“But he has the experience here, we’ve seen him here, he grew up a Manchester United fan.”
There is a drawback to this deal, though. This is because Ferdinand believes Cunha’s arrival will force Man Utd to offload Marcus Rashford and one more player this summer.
“I’m hearing he’s taking the No.10 shirt which was Rashford’s shirt. What does that mean for Marcus Rashford, man?” Ferdinand continued.
“There’s a lot of questions that will be asked about that as well and it might answer a few questions. But 17 goals and six assists in 36 games for a Wolves team is impressive.
“The recruitment team, the coaches and the players will have seen what he did to Manchester United at Old Trafford. He was slicing through Manchester United like a hot knife through butter.
“He looked like he had the power and I think he fits a Ruben Amorim player profile perfectly. He’s quick, he’s dynamic, he’s aggressive, he’s capable of dropping deep and transitioning with the ball, he can pass and he can threaten the opponents with a goal by running deep or coming short.
“I think he’s the type of player that Ruben Amorim has been crying out for and with neither [Rasmus] Hojlund or [Joshua] Zirkzee at the moment looking like the answer in advanced positions, I think he has a real opportunity to play across one of those three positions quite easily, as a nine, as one of the guys off the sides.”
He added: “The only thing I would say in this window is that £60m in this window, it will remain to be seen what type of work gets done when you’re spending a big chunk like that.
“As much as I’m happy with it, it means they are going to be some going out of the door and it means there’s going to be somebody like Garnacho or Kobbie Mainoo… and Marcus Rashford.
“They will be the players that will be going I think, so when you look at it it’s a lot of money. But where are you going to get players that can come and affect your first-team for that type of money?”