Nottingham Forest prepare record bid for long-term Man United target Matheus Cunha

Nottingham Forest are prepared to make a “club-record offer” for Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Matheus Cunha – a long-term target for Manchester United and a perfect fit in Ruben Amorim’s system.

The Red Devils were first linked with Cunha in 2022 during Erik ten Hag’s first summer at at Old Trafford as a potential reinforcement to a misfiring forward line.

The Brazilian international was plying his trade for Atletico Madrid and famed for his tenacity and work rate – two prerequisites to play under Los Colchoneros manager Diego Simeone. However, a fee in the region of £45 million deterred United officials and an approach was never formalised.

Six months later, in the January transfer window, Cunha would join Wolves on a six-month loan with a buy clause of £44 million if certain conditions were met – which they were. The forward then officially completed his move from Madrid to Wolverhampton in the summer of 2023.

And while this felt like an exorbitant price for a club like Wolves to be spending, it has proven an astute purchase with the Brazilian’s performances this season continuing to justify every penny.

Cunha has scored 10 goals and provided a further four assists in the Premier League. By comparison, United’s attacking trio of Marcus Rashford, Joshua Zirzkee and Rasmus Hojlund have returned nine goals collectively.

Furthermore, Cunha’s all-round play outside the box is even more impressive than his contributions in it.

The 25-year-old is an outstanding ball carrier, combining speed, strength and skill in equal measure to be able to consistently progress into the final third. He ranks in the 95th percentile among forward for progressive carriers and the 97th for successful take-ons.

Cunha is also a tireless presser, ranking in the 98th percentile for interceptions, 95th for tackles and 85th for block among other strikers.

The Wolves star’s positional versatility – capable of playing up front, on the wing or as an attacking midfielder – is further attractive quality for potential suitors; particularly those with a new head coach searching for players to help implement his high-intensity 3-4-3 system, which relies on hard-working forwards.

Amorim has faced a tough start to life at Old Trafford since arriving from Sporting CP in November to replace Erik ten Hag.

The Portuguese coach has dogmatically implemented his trademark 3-4-3 formation – as one would expect from a manager hired because of his success with it – despite there being obvious weaknesses in the United squad when lined up like this.

A left wingback is a priority with Lecce’s Patrick Dorgu having emerged as the club’s primary target, but the forward line remains a weakness. Hojlund and Zirkzee continue to struggle in front of goal and Rashford is set for an exit after declaring his intention to leave in a blockbuster interview last month.

Similarly, the two number ten positions in Amorim’s three-man attack have only found one candidate capable of playing the role perfectly – Amad. The other options – Bruno Fernandes, Alejandro Garnacho, Mason Mount and Antony – have not impressed due to poor fits in terms of profile (Fernandes and Garnacho), fitness (Mount) or quality (Antony).

Cunha would be capable of playing either the centre-forward position or the attacking midfield role – an invaluable quality for Amorim given his team’s struggles in front of goal.

However, there is considerable interest elsewhere in the Premier League in the Wolves forward, with rivals Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and even Manchester City reported to have been in the queue, though City’s interest has since cooled.

And now, Sky Sports reveals, another unlikely top-four contender has emerged for Cunha, ready to launch a club-record bid to secure the 25-year-old’s services.

Forest are currently 3rd place in the table with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side producing a season for the ages, relative to expectations going into the campaign.

And their owner, Evangelos Marinakis, appears to want to double down on this success, rather than sit back and savour it, by sanctioning a record move for Cunha to further strengthen Nuno’s starting eleven, ahead of England’s biggest clubs.

It remains unlikely that Cunha would consider a move to Forest while there are more traditional Champions League clubs, such as Arsenal, in the hunt for him, but stranger things have happened in football.

The Sky Sports report reveals an offer in the region of £60 million could be enough to convince Wolves to part with their star forward.

United would need to be able to generate serious income this month to meet this demand, though the increasingly likely scenario of a Garnacho sale for a fee in excess of £50 million would provide exactly that.

And while the loss of the 20-year-old Argentine would be a major blow for a fanbase who adore academy players, the prospect of a 25-year-old Brazilian coming in his place, who is perfectly suited to Amorim’s needs, would surely soften the blow.

Featured Image Naomi Baker via Getty Images

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