Paul Scholes has two concerns over Manchester United signing Wolves forward Matheus Cunha and claims nothing can save what has been a “disaster” of a season for the club.
United sit 14th in the Premier League table having won just 10 of their 34 games this season, though the Europa League does provide some “light at the end of the tunnel”.
The Red Devils face Athletic Club in the first leg of their semi-final on Thursday, but club legend Scholes insists even winning that trophy and qualifying for the Champions League will not save their season.
He wrote in his TNT Sports column: ‘Man Utd have been a disaster in the Premier League this year. It’s been really difficult to watch and again it was difficult once more against Bournemouth. The Europa League has given them a little bit of life. Winning it will not save their season because the Premier League is your bread and butter and that’s where you’ll be judged, and I think Amorim knows that.
‘There’s a bit of light at the end of the tunnel with the Europa League for the fans especially. They’ve got a tough game against Athletic Club as they’re one of the better teams left in the competition. I think being at home in the second leg helps them.
‘If they were away in the second leg, I think they’d really struggle to get through, but if they can go over there and get a result, then the crowd at Old Trafford in that second leg can really get you through. You wouldn’t be putting your money on them and calling them favourites to win it because of how inconsistent they are, but out of the four teams, they’ve got as good a chance as any of them.’
Ruben Amorim and the team of directors at Old Trafford are currently working to bring in fresh faces for next season, and Wolves’ Matheus Cunha looks likely to be the first through the door.
The Brazilian has a £62.5m release clause that United are set to trigger, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
On Monday, he wrote on X: ‘Manchester United keep working to seal Matheus Cunha deal very soon, plan confirmed since one week ago. Negotiations underway on final contract details for the Brazilian who’s keen on joining the project.’
The 25-year-old has caught the eye with his displays this season but Scholes is worried that any player, no matter their quality, will struggle in this Manchester United team, and also isn’t sure where Cunha will play in Amorim’s system.
He added: ‘He looks like he’s got the attributes that Ruben Amorim wants. He knows that physically, his team are just not strong or quick enough, so Matheus Cunha is obviously athletic, and he’s got quality with 15 league goals this season. I just worry for any signing coming to Manchester United at the minute. It just feels like it’s such a bad place to go. The quality of play right now is so poor.
‘And with Cunha, is he a centre-forward or is he a wide player? There’s no doubt that he has quality and of course, it would be nice to sign him, but I worry about where he fits in. You can sign the best three players in the world, and I think they’ll struggle coming into this team at the minute, but they’ve got to start somewhere.’