After a relatively slow start to life at Old Trafford, it’s fair to say that Matheus Cunha has well and truly arrived as a Manchester United player over recent months.
Billed as potentially the club’s next Eric Cantona by those within United, the Brazilian scored just once in the Premier League between August and November, having been firmly outshone by fellow summer arrival, Bryan Mbeumo.
Since the start of December, however, the 26-year-old has scored six times and registered three assists, looking particularly impressive in a left-wing berth during Michael Carrick‘s time at the helm.
Initially deployed as a left-sided number ten in Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system, Cunha’s long-term home may well be in this wide role moving forward, ensuring the INEOS regime need to get it right with regard to signing the perfect player to complement him.
Man Utd open talks to sign LaLiga sensation
Since Patrick Dorgu’s injury against Arsenal back in January, Cunha has largely been the preferred pick off the left, even while not necessarily an orthodox winger, considering he previously lined up as a number ten or centre-forward in his Wolverhampton Wanderers days.
One possible problem that has stemmed from Carrick’s approach, for all Cunha’s quality, is the lack of width provided, with the ex-Molineux star more inclined to cut inside, having also drifted over to the right for his thumping finish against Fulham.
That issue has been heightened by the presence of Luke Shaw behind him, with the ever-present left-back no longer the marauding, forward-thinking defender that he once was.
With that in mind, a new left-sided full-back appears to be a priority heading into the summer, not least with Tyrell Malacia set to depart at the expiry of his contract, with Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo reporting that United are now in the race for Barcelona sensation, Alejandro Balde.
As per the report – via Sport Witness – the Red Devils are believed to be battling Aston Villa and Manchester City for the 22-year-old’s signature, with the Premier League trio all opening talks regarding a possible summer move.
|
Highest valued left-backs |
|
|---|---|
|
Player |
Value |
|
Mendes |
£64m |
|
Carreras |
£51m |
|
Balde |
£46m |
|
O’Reilly |
£42m |
|
Calafiori |
£42m |
|
Cucurella |
£42m |
|
Dimarco |
£42m |
|
via Transfermarkt |
|
Those approaches haven’t been followed by a concrete offer as yet, however, albeit with the piece outlining that the LaLiga giants, while keen to keep the Spaniard, would contemplate a sale if they were to receive a ‘substantial’ bid.
Why Balde would be a dream signing for Cunha at Man Utd
If Cunha is to truly thrive off the left, then he needs to be supported by a flying full-back behind him, just as Marcus Rashford was by Shaw during the forward’s Old Trafford pomp.
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Bruno Guimaraes may not be the the Brazilian sensation that Man Utd are chasing this summer.
In his current iteration, however, Shaw is far more inclined to keep things simple in an attacking sense, still operating in a similar manner to the left-sided centre-back role he enjoyed under Amorim’s watch.
Against Bournemouth last time out, for instance, the 30-year-old recorded just two progressive carries and made only ten passes in the opposition half, rarely seen busting a gut to get around Cunha down the left.
That has been the theme of the Englishman’s season, in truth, registering just one assist, creating just 0.51 chances per game and averaging just 0.21 successful dribbles per game in the Premier League.
Balde, therefore, would represent the perfect, youthful upgrade in that regard, with the Barcelona speedster having registered two assists in LaLiga, while creating 1.24 chances and averaging 1.18 successful dribbles per game.
That willingness to get forward at every available opportunity is seen in the youngster’s record of 2.37 touches per outing in the opposition box, with Shaw’s record looking particularly inferior at just 0.75 in that regard.
While that is partly influenced by the long-serving United man starting the season as part of a back three, the point still stands, with even his creditable reliability in 2025/26 unable to mask his declining physical capabilities.
In Balde, meanwhile, INEOS would be targeting a player on the rise and arguably one of the “best players in the world” alongside Paris Saint-Germain’s Nuno Mendes, as per Como scout Ben Mattinson, having already chalked up 21 assists in 160 games for the Catalan side to date.
For comparison, Shaw’s 318 games for United have only yielded 30 assists in all competitions, highlighting why a changing of the guard is needed.
Cunha would surely benefit too from having that attack-minded presence behind him, having previously enjoyed a fruitful partnership with Rayan Ait-Nouri at Wolves, the two men linking up to devastating effect down the left.
If the £62.5m man is to make that flank his home heading into next season at Old Trafford, having a player like Balde in support, providing relentless overlapping runs, could allow him to kick on even further in a United shirt.
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There has been a development in the Red Devils’ pursuit.