Sky Sports and BBC pundit Stephen Warnock has likened Matheus Cunha to Man United legend Eric Cantona.
The Brazilian has impressed observers following his move from Wolves in the summer, and speaking to Esports Bets, Warnock said that Cunha’s confidence is reminiscent of the club’s former No.7:
“Matheus Cunha has been exceptional this season. He’s been Manchester United’s best signing of the transfer window, in my opinion. I was at the game between Liverpool and United at Anfield, and I thought he was the best player on the pitch by a mile.”
“He’s got an arrogance that reminds me of Eric Cantona – you can see that he’s embraced playing for Manchester United. It’s almost as if whenever he steps on the pitch in a United shirt, he’s showing people the reason the club have signed him.”
“In today’s market, £62.5million for him is a brilliant deal and he’s already one of United’s key players. He draws fouls, he’s got quick feet, and he’s obviously a goal threat. The one thing I was concerned about before he joined United was his work rate and pressing, but he’s started to show he can do that as well. He’s been an excellent signing so far.”
Cunha still has a lot to prove
It should be pointed out that the 26-year-old has scored just 1 goal and provided 0 assists in his first 9 games for United, so while he has undoubtedly been embraced by the fanbase, he has some work to do if he wants to have the same impact as Cantona.
As we have seen in his last two games against Liverpool and Brighton, Cunha can be outstanding in the final third of the pitch when he is on his game, but the key for him will be consistency.
Can he follow in the footsteps of a United great?
King Eric had a reasonable start to his Old Trafford career, scoring 9 times in his first season, following his £1m move from archrivals Leeds in November 1992.
However, by the end of his first full campaign, he had firmly established himself as one of the club’s best players, finding the back of the net 25 times in all competitions. Over the course of his 5 years with the Red Devils, he would lift the Premier League title four times. While no fan expects Cunha to be as successful, he is beginning to show how much of an asset he can be.
Read more about the Manchester United First Team Squad for 2025/26 here
