Matheus Cunha makes honest admission over his start at Man Utd

Matheus Cunha says Manchester United’s turbulent start to the new season has made it feel like he has been at the club for much, much longer.

Old Trafford bosses had little option but to consider a complete squad overhaul on the back of a wretched 2024/25 campaign, in which United finished with their lowest-ever points total in the Premier League.

United’s hierarchy set out their stall early on by triggering Cunha’s £62.5million release clause following an eye-catching season with Wolves in the English top flight.

The Red Devils would go on to spend a total of £236m over the course of a busy summer transfer window, as Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo, Diego Leon and Senne Lammens all followed Cunha through the doors.

But just three wins from seven in the Premier League – and a shock Carabao Cup exit at the hands of Grimsby Town – could hardly have been what Cunha had in mind when he signed on the dotted line at the Theatre of Dreams.

Cunha is still yet to score or assist after seven appearances in all competitions under Ruben Amorim’s tutelage and a frustrating hamstring injury meant he missed the side’s derby defeat to Manchester City last month.

However, an excellent performance in Brazil’s 5-0 win over South Korea on Friday will have done wonders for Cunha’s confidence levels – and the forward will be looking to carry his international form into United’s upcoming trip to arch-rivals Liverpool.

‘Being here now in the national team, and at United, is, without a doubt, a different level, a different moment for me as a player,’ Cunha – who led Brazil’s attack – told Globo Esporte following the thumping victory.

‘I try as much as possible to adapt, to learn… it’s only been two months [since joining Manchester United], but it feels like I’ve been here for a long time because of the club’s current situation.

‘I have to get results as quickly as possible because I’m a [big] signing… all of this helps a lot to find the adaptation faster and feel as good as possible in the national team.’

Cunha says he had ‘without a doubt’ found the ‘happiness’ he has been seeking in his career after joining a club of United’s stature, while also establishing himself as a regular starter for Brazil.

‘Without a doubt. We live in a constant search for something. Even though a difficult moment when you’re pursuing a dream and encountering some obstacles leaves you feeling a bit lost,’ he added.

‘You want to understand, and despite having so much, you don’t feel fulfilled by what you’ve achieved.

‘You have to constantly remember where you came from to understand where you’ve arrived.’

Cunha continued: ‘What I was searching for as a person more than anything else, I’m slowly finding.

‘You constantly want to improve. That’s innate in human nature, but I can’t help but stop and enjoy this moment.

‘Feeling privileged to wear the jersey of the greatest national team in the world, one of the greatest clubs in the world… it’s a spectacular personal moment.

‘I have an incredible family, another little girl now, everyone is doing well and feeling healthy. I’m enjoying all of this in a positive way.’

Cunha is relishing the chance to help Brazil – managed by Carlo Ancelotti – banish the memories of the 2022 World Cup at next year’s tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

‘I was one of the few who didn’t go to 2022. It’s different because of the excitement of being new, of trying to play in a World Cup, doing everything possible and impossible to be there,’ he explained.

‘And for those who have already been, it’s a chance to write a new story.

‘Last time, it wasn’t what we dreamed, and there’s this excitement, these butterflies in your stomach thinking, “Man, now it’s going to happen!”, and we have to make it happen without that unimaginable feeling that it’s far away and difficult.

‘The group, despite being new, has some cool experience. The guys who have already competed also take with them the privilege of being here, being called up, and playing in a World Cup in a more relaxed way.’

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.