Ruben Amorim was unequivocal in the press conference room inside Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon on the key to Manchester United becoming a competent team once more.
Goals have been in short supply since the Portuguese took charge. Only Everton and West Ham outside the bottom three have scored fewer goals this season than Manchester United’s 38.
At home, only Everton and Bournemouth have scored less on their own patch than United.
‘It’s a team thing,’ Amorim said.
‘Of course we have an idea of what this team needs but also the guys we play with, we play at least three guys in front to score goals and we have midfielders… all the team needs to score more goals and you have opportunities with the midfielders and the striker.
‘We need to improve as a team because if you don’t score goals in this league it’s impossible to win games.’
Matheus Cunha has long been identified by Manchester United as a priority move this summer
Ruben Amorim is looking to add a greater goal threat to his team which Cunha can provide
So, as much as a centre forward or two is United’s top priority in the summer transfer window, Amorim has made it plain to the powers that be that he needs goals right throughout his team.
That is where Matheus Cunha comes in. A goalscoring No 10 who, at 26, is entering his prime years and is by most standards ‘Premier League proven’ – it’s a no brainer from United’s side.
Cunha has been discussed internally since the back end of 2024 and his name has never come off the table since with United now looking to accelerate a move to trigger his £62.5million release clause.
There are a four main factors that appeal to United when it comes to Cunha, not least his familiarity with the 3-4-2-1 system that Amorim has shown no indication he is ready to give up on.
It is the system, with two No 10s behind a lone centre forward, that Cunha has operated in since Vitor Pereira took charge.
One of Amorim’s biggest difficulties since taking the job was the need to coach too many of his players through games due to a lack of understanding in the positioning or the pressing strategy. There have been numerous games where it has felt he has been playing Subutteo by dragging players and pointing them into positions.
That is not of concern when it comes to Cunha due to his bootcamp under Pereira and while Amorim has his own idiosyncrasies, many upstairs at United see Cunha as a plug and play type signing that can make an immediate impact.
Secondly, only Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah and Cole Palmer have produced more shots on target in the Premier League this season than Cunha, while it is worth noting that Cunha has made a more concerted effort in the past two seasons to shoot more often, producing more shots in 2023-24 and 2024-25 than ever before in his career.
Only three other players have had more shots on target in the league than Cunha this season
Only three players have carried the ball into the final third of the pitch more than Cunha, too
Amorim knows his team must score more goals collectively as a team and Cunha can help a lot
United have also noted that this is a career-best year in front of goal for Cunha with 14 goals with four assists to go with it. Alejandro Garnacho, Joshua Zirkzee, and Rasmus Hojlund have combined for 11 goals.
It has also been raised that Cunha has shown a comfort playing either as the left 10 or right 10 and has previously played as a No 9, giving United options should injuries dictate their needs.
‘I just feel if I can get Cunha in the right spot, I get him understanding this and that, together with what he already brings, we can get a real rise in what he produces,’ former Wolves boss Gary O’Neil told Sky in 2023.
‘He is already a special player. With Matheus Cunha, there is always the potential for more.’
He added: ‘Matheus Cunha is an incredible guy with a big heart who wants to do his best for the team.
‘If you look at his work rate and the numbers he produces, he works his socks off. It is just then me trying to get him to direct that in the right way.’
Finally, ball carrying traits are important to Amorim too, not least being able to drive United up the pitch when they are penned back, and only three players have carried the ball into the final third of the pitch more than Cunha this season: Alex Iwobi (Fulham), Josko Gvardiol (Manchester City) and Jeremy Doku (Manchester City).
No transfer is free from risk – Manchester United know that better than most with the likes of Angel Di Maria and Alexis Sanchez failing to work out after big moves – but in Cunha, the powers that be see a prime player with all the transformative skills they are seeking to reinvigorate one of the league’s worst attacks.