The date and time of Matheus Cunha’s official Manchester United debut has been confirmed by the Premier League.
Manchester United have officially completed the signing of Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers in a deal worth £62.5 million, finalised on Thursday afternoon last week.
The Brazilian becomes Rúben Amorim’s first signing of the summer and a central figure in United’s push to reshape their squad early in the transfer window. He joins on a five-year contract.
Seen as a significant boost to United’s misfiring attack, Cunha brings pace, sharp movement, and the ability to operate across the front line, qualities expected to add much-needed variety and fluidity to the team’s forward play.
The transfer fee will be paid in three instalments, starting with an initial £20.8 million, followed by two further payments over the next 12 months.
At 26, Cunha is set to slot in on the left side of the attack, with Alejandro Garnacho’s future at the club increasingly uncertain amid growing interest from Premier League and European sides.
When will Cunha be making his official debut?
United fans will be able to see Cunha in Red for the first time when the club fly to Stockholm, Sweden, to face Leeds United at the Strawberry Arena on 19 July for their first pre-season fixture.
Then, the club will fly to the United States to face West Ham, Bournemouth, and Everton, before a final pre-season game takes place against Fiorentina at Old Trafford on 9 August.
However, although Cunha is expected to feature in all five of these fixtures, his official debut will not take place until the following weekend, when the Premier League season commences.
The Premier League have announced their fixture list for the 2025/26 campaign, with United’s opening game of the season against Arsenal on Sunday, 17 August, with the game at Old Trafford being given a kick-off time of 16:30 BST.
Cunha has played three times against Arsenal during his two and a half seasons for Wolves, scoring one goal in those fixtures and he is yet to win a game against the Gunners.
Who else could debut against Arsenal?
While Cunha is currently the only certainty to debut against Arsenal, it’s expected that several other players will also play their first official minutes for the club.
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United are closing in on an agreement for Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford, with reports stating that the two clubs are edging closer to settling on a transfer fee despite late interest from Tottenham.
Meanwhile, the club are also eyeing a move for a new striker this summer, with United interested in Frankfurt’s Ekitike. However, with quoted fees ranging from £60 million to £85 million, the 22-year-old will only be pursued by United if his price tag is reduced.
Aside from this, the club also want to bring in a new midfielder. The first-choice target for the position is currently unclear, but the club have been rumoured to be keen on Galatasaray and Brazilian midfielder Gabriel Sara.
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