Gary Neville says that Manchester United has been desperate for a signing in the form of Matheus Cunha since he let Marcus Rashford go.
United wants to sign Wolves forward Cunha to play as a number 10 with the side of Ruben Amorim struggling for goals, with only 38 scored in 33 Premier League matches, after he had allowed options Rashford, Antony and Jadon Sancho to let it go on loan this season.
Amorim has said that United has to sell this summer to buy, and those three are excellent candidates to collect the required funds for the head coach to build a team that is able to play its 3-4-2-1 formation.
“They are desperate in that position,” said Sky Sports Pundit Neville. “You think of what Manchester United is playing now, they have let Jadon Sancho go, they let (Marcus) go Rashford, they have let Antony go, so three players who are natural players who travel with the ball.
“They are currently playing with (Alejandro) Garnacho, but then they are crooked. On the other hand, it is sometimes (Joshua) Zirkzee when he was fit, or they have Bruno Fernandes on in times.
“Mason Mount's come in, but they need someone who can beat players, they need someone who walks through the middle just as well and travel with the ball, and go wide and support the wingback.
“So he is a kind of player in which you could see that Manchester United is interested, that would fit in with this system that Ruben wants to play Amorim.
“They have lost three players who play in that kind of position, so they have to fulfill that, they should definitely fulfill those roles or otherwise they will struggle.
“They have to score goals. Ruben Amorim said on the weekend that we just have trouble scoring goals, so you need players who can take risks, good in the last third part, and Cunha has a lot of ability.”
'Rashford almost impossible to play against'
Cunha is well suited for the system that it played under Vitor Pereira at Wolves and has proven itself in the Premier League as a goal scorer and maker for the past two years, but his release clause is £ 62.5 million.
The form of Rashford since the middle season at Aston Villa, the score of four goals and laying six assists in 17 games, has asked questions about Amorim's decision to let him go, especially because he would play a similar role as Cunha.
The Villa Loan made an impression on Sky Sports Pundit Roy Keane in Tuesday's 2-1 defeat in Man City, because he yielded a first half of a fine and Ruben Dias Haveloos ran when he came close to score after just 17 seconds.
“He was a threat [against City]. If there is grass behind Marcus, he is almost every player, “said Keane in the Sky Sports Studio.
“There are still areas that he can improve, but when he lags behind and receives that service, you ask the defenders, Marcus is a nightmare to play against.
'He has that hunger and desire to meet [the space]. When I see him make [those runs]And as soon as he has grass in front of him, he is almost impossible to stop. “
'No worries about the temperament of Cunha'
Villa still has to decide whether they will permanently sign Rashford, but Sky Sports News reports that whatever happens, the future of the attacker is away from United.
That is why plans are made to sign Cunha, which United has given Positive Instructions with which he would like to participate.
The character of Cunha was questioned this season after missing six games by suspension for his misconduct on the field, including a fight with a member of the security of Ipswich Town and his collision with Milos Kerkez van Bournemouth after he was sent.
Asked if he had such worries, Neville said: “No. to be honest, I really like it [it]. If I played against him, I would not want a player with a little spirit and a little fight.
“I used to play with some incredible players, some of the very best in the world in their time, and they had the right peak for them – you think of Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez, Eric Cantona and Mark Hughes and how heavy and sometimes courageous they were in games.
“Sometimes they did the unpredictable, sometimes they lost their discipline, but they were great players. The moment they are sent away, they know they have abandoned the team, but what they give you in exchange is something special and I love a player with character.”
Why Maverick Cunha fits well with UTD – but also a risk
After reporting Wolves' Matheus Cunha to Manchester United, Adam Bate analyzes what the Brazilian attacker could bring to Old Trafford, which reflects on conversations with the man himself and Cunha's current teammates in Molineux …