Manchester United transfer chief John Murtough made direct contact with Atletico Madrid about signing Matheus Cunha this summer.
That’s according to Fabrizio Romano who claims that United were ready to pay £42 million for Cunha but Atletico have no interest in selling him.
So it seems as though it’s back to the drawing board for United boss Erik ten Hag. Bringing a top-class striker to Old Trafford should be one of his main priorities this summer.
As things stand though, it seems as though the Dutchman is facing numerous obstacles in his hunt for an elite forward.
Signing Cunha this summer certainly now appears to be an impossible task for the club.
Manchester United handed straight answer on Matheus Cunha
Fabrizio Romano claims that Murtough contacted Atleti about signing the Brazilian ace and received an instant response:
Cunha does have a release clause believed to be worth up to €80 million (£67.5m), according to AS.
Ten Hag cannot afford to waste time now. He needs to move for alternative transfer targets…and fast.
There are plenty of talented attackers out there who are available for the right price. The challenge will be convincing a world-class forward to move to Old Trafford.
United are in somewhat of a mess at the moment, and the club certainly isn’t an attractive prospect for potential new signings, as things stand.
That’s where Ten Hag comes in. The Dutchman needs to sell his philosophies, ideas and ambitions to the players he wants to bring to Old Trafford.
The United manager obviously wanted to sign Cunha. He’s ended up empty-handed though. And whether Ten Hag is able to bounce back from that disappointment by signing someone of equal standard, or even better than the Brazilian, remains to be seen.
Read also: Manchester United reportedly make club record bid for 22-year-old.
Stats via Transfermarkt.
