Matthijs de Ligt has given a glowing review of new signing Matheus Cunha after his first few weeks at Manchester United.
Matheus Cunha was Manchester United’s first summer signing of the 2025 summer transfer window, joining from Wolverhampton Wanderers for a £62.5 million fee.
The 26-year-old was announced as United’s first signing in June, joining his teammates on the first day of pre-season training, and has been fully involved in all first-team activities.
Cunha has played three times on tour, missing out on the 4-1 win against Bournemouth due to fatigue, and looks to be connecting with his teammates.
He was the first of four signings so far this summer, with Diego Leon and Bryan Mbeumo having also featured in pre-season, while new striker Benjamin Šeško will be announced on Saturday.
De Ligt suprused with Cunha’s speed
Matthijs de Ligt is about to complete his first 12 months at Old Trafford, and sat down with the club’s media to talk about the new signings and how they’ve bedded into the squad.
While the Dutchman explained that he’s acutely aware of Cunha’s technical qualities, he did not expect to see just how fast the Brazilian can be, too.
“Matheus is training really well,” De Light detailed. “He’s at a new club, a new environment, but you see he’s already chatting and making jokes with teammates. So I think that’s also a really good adaptation from him.
“I think Matheus is a really technical player – Brazilian flair, really good with the ball, but also really fast. I didn’t expect that! So, yeah, really, really good player, really attacking midfielder, scores goals, gives assists.”
Cunha’s flair is needed at United
In the last few seasons, it has been hard to become excited by United’s attacking abilities, except for the tireless work of Bruno Fernandes. Cunha will change that.
The Brazilian is well known to be a confident and never-say-die player who thrives under pressure, which will not only give United much more of a clinical edge, but also raise the confidence of others around him.
If Cunha can establish himself in his first few weeks and months at Old Trafford, his attitude and boldness, both on and off the field, will become infectious in the dressing room, which will raise morale, standards, and performance.
According to the Manchester Evening News, United’s squad are very optimistic about the upcoming season, and Cunha’s signing is undoubtedly a significant contributor to the upbeat mood at the club.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 12:30 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.