Matheus Cunha’s best role at Manchester United might not be what he dreamed of

Old Trafford has fallen hard for Matheus Cunha’s flair. The Brazilian arrived last summer fresh from single-handedly dragging Wolves through a relegation fight and, 26 Premier League games into his Manchester United career, the 3.2 combined dribbles and fouls he wins each match still prompt appreciative roars from the Stretford End. Six goals and two assists do not leap off the page, yet every touch confirms why the club sanctioned the big-money move: he keeps defenders on edge, creates space for others and supplies the kind of highlight-reel moments that travel across social media within minutes.

But the wider landscape at Carrington is shifting. While Cunha has operated almost exclusively as a left-sided forward under head coach Michael Carrick, United’s recruitment staff have already identified the next evolution of that position. RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande, another product of the same academy system that once housed Cunha, is enjoying a breakout Bundesliga campaign and tops the club’s wide-forward shortlist. Diomande’s profile—direct, pace-heavy, comfortable hugging the touchline—hints at a future in which United prioritise classic width rather than the inverted, central instincts Cunha naturally drifts toward.

That tactical tweak matters because, in his own mind, Cunha has always been a No. 10. The role he filled at Hertha Berlin and dreamed of claiming at Old Trafford—between the lines, threading through-balls, timing late runs into the box—belongs to someone else for the foreseeable future. Captain Bruno Fernandes is enjoying a career-defining 2025/26 season, sits atop the Premier League chance-creation charts and, at 30, shows no sign of relinquishing his creative stranglehold. United’s hierarchy view Fernandes as a performer who can age gracefully in the slot, meaning the pathway for Cunha to slide inside is blocked for years, not months.

Carrick and his staff have discussed the conundrum openly with the player. Internally, they praise Cunha’s professionalism: he has learned positional triggers for the left wing, tracked full-backs diligently and never publicly questioned the hierarchy. Still, the coaching staff foresee a future in which a natural winger—Diomande, or even explosive youth product Patrick Dorgu—offers greater balance. In that scenario, Cunha’s value morphs from week-to-week starter to high-class utility option, a floater capable of covering both wide areas and the central channels whenever Fernandes needs rest or tactical tinkering demands a second creator.

United supporters old enough to remember title-winning squads under Sir Alex Ferguson greet that idea with enthusiasm. Depth, they argue, wins leagues: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ji-sung Park and Teddy Sheringham all accepted situational roles en route to silverware. If Cunha embraces a similar brief, he could become the modern equivalent—less the marquee every-match starter, more the difference-maker off the bench who keeps a trophy push alive through a congested April schedule.

For a footballer who spent the previous three seasons as the main attraction at Molineux, the adjustment carries psychological weight. Cunha did not swap mid-table heroics for a seat on the Old Trafford bench, yet titles recalibrate priorities. Should United lift the FA Cup or push Manchester City deep into May, the 25-year-old’s versatility will deserve partial credit, even if personal statistics pale against past expectations.

In the meantime, Cunha continues to refine the defensive diligence Carrick demands, studies video of Fernandes’ movement and stays ready for the next opportunity—whether that arrives on the wing, in the hole or somewhere in between. The role may not match the childhood fantasy, but it could still end with medals in May, a trade-off many players before him have learned to love.