Newcastle United lost out on the signing of Matheus Cunha to Manchester United.
Cunha was reportedly a target for Newcastle United earlier this year but the Brazilian ended up joining Ruben Amorim’s side.
Newcastle wanted to sign Cunha but his move to Old Trafford has now been confirmed.
The Brazil international could even be joined by fellow Toon target Bryan Mbeumo in Manchester.
Indeed, Newcastle thought Mbeumo was too expensive, and it seems Amorim’s side are trying to add him to their squad too.
Cunha is set for a huge salary increase at Man United, but that’s not the only reason he joined.
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Matheus Cunha gives reason for joining Manchester United instead of Newcastle
On Thursday, the forward gave an interview to the Manchester United official website.
Cunha revealed that the Red Devils were the English team he supported growing up.
That emotional connection, coupled with the wages on offer, would surely suggest Newcastle never really stood a chance.
Cunha said: “It is hard to put into words my feelings about becoming a Manchester United player. Ever since I was a child in Brazil watching Premier League games on TV at my grandmother’s house, United was my favourite English team and I dreamed of wearing the red shirt.
“I want to thank my family and everyone who has helped me make that dream a reality.”
Alan Shearer prefers current Newcastle United star to Matheus Cunha
Signing the 26-year-old would have been brilliant for Newcastle. Even in a largely poor Wolves team last season, Cunha scored 15 goals while registering 6 assists.
However, unless he were to play in a reasonably unfamiliar right-winger role, there’s not a natural fit for him at Newcastle.
| Games | Goals | Assists |
| 33 | 15 | 6 |
That’s not to say he wouldn’t have been an excellent addition, just that Newcastle are well-stocked in the positions he flourished in during the 2024/25 campaign.
He could feasibly have played in central midfield, but Eddie Howe has plenty of options there.
In fact, club legend Alan Shearer prefers Sandro Tonali to Cunha due to his flexibility in midfield.
Cunha would have been a welcome addition for Newcastle, but it now seems as if they just never stood a chance of signing him.
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