Matheus Cunha was in the spotlight when he made his Atlético Madrid move for €35m in 2021.
He faced struggles with maintaining consistent form and minutes at the club, given the presence of other attacking players and Simeone’s preferred playstyle.
He was due for a move where he could secure consistent playing time and showcase his true abilities.
On his loan to Wolves in 2022/23, he scored two EPL goals in 17 games and 972 minutes.
In 2023/24, he performed significantly better, scoring 12 goals and providing seven assists in 32 games, totalling 2454 minutes.
However, this season is where he has received more playing time and has been heavily linked with Manchester United.
He has 13 goals and four assists in 26 games so far, carrying Wolves’ attack.
The Brazilian talent factory consistently produces and develops new players.
Cunha didn’t have the chance to show how great he was from the start, but at Wolves, he’s showing a spark of it.
However, it is doubtful that he will stay at Wolves for much longer.
It looks as though he’s eyeing a bigger move, possibly this summer.
His market value jumped from €20 million in November 2022, when he was 23 years old and playing for Atlético Madrid, to €50 million as of December 2024.
However, he will undoubtedly go for a fee ranging from €70m to €80m.
In this scout report and tactical analysis, we examine Matheus Cunha style of play, identifying what makes him so effective, key factors about his game, and some statistics to reveal the type of player he is.
Matheus Cunha Radar Map
Matheus Cunha’s radar map highlights his strengths as an overall attacking player, with notable creative and goal-scoring contributions.
His goal contribution per 90 (76.65 percentile) and expected goal contribution per 90 (80.95 percentile) show his effectiveness in creating and scoring opportunities.
His shots per 90 (95.3 percentile) are typical of a Brazilian attacker.
Still, it’s also interesting to note his dangerous passes per 90 (92.7 percentile) and progressive passes per 90 (74.75 percentile), which reflect his playmaking abilities.
Overall, Cunha is an interesting player since it’s hard to define him into one position.
There’s still a debate about whether he is a pure 9, a winger, or better in a 10 or second-striker role.
It appears that he is comfortable in all attacking fronts.
Matheus Cunha Scout Report 2023/24 Vs 2024/25
Comparing these two years reveals the consistency he has demonstrated.
Last season is what made him a key Wolves player, setting the stage for this season, where he is shining.
So, let’s compare the past two seasons below.
2023/2024 Season
2024/2025 Season
Last season, he played 3050 minutes, scoring 14 goals and providing eight assists.
This season, in just 2703 minutes (with games still left), he has already matched his goal output.
His attacking impact remains steady, but his efficiency has improved; his shots on target have risen from 43.3% to 51.85%, and his aerial duel success has increased from 25.33% to 34.21%.
There has been a significant change in his increased involvement in Wolverhampton’s attack.
His crossing volume has skyrocketed (26 to 119), and his passing accuracy has slightly dipped (76.41% to 68.29%) partly due to the sample size.
Matheus Cunha Progressive Pass Map
From this progressive pass map, we can see how versatile Cunha is in attack.
He isn’t reliant on just one width of the pitch, left, right, or center; he can comfortably operate across all attacking lanes.
Unlike most attackers and playmakers who have a preferred side where they feel most natural, Cunha can thrive on either end of the attack.
This flexibility makes him unpredictable, allowing Wolves to use him in multiple roles.
He remains effective whether he’s driving through the middle, linking up on the left, or creating from the right.
Matheus Cunha Ball Striking Ability
What makes Cunha so good is his clean ball-striking ability.
He has that raw talent of cleanly striking the ball, similar to players like Julian Alvarez, Harry Kane, and Lewandowski.
He can cleanly hit the ball from anywhere.
Like the image above, here he scores from this far out.
Clean ball striking is something that comes naturally.
You can work on it, but you’ll never have the same ball striking as someone who naturally excels at it.
So, having this ability is rare and a hidden part of his game.
Matheus Cunha Creativity
His creativity and technical ability make Cunha great as a winger/attacker, which can put him in the 10 or 8 role.
He understands when to release the ball at the right moment.
Even a simple pass like the one above gets messed up at times from attackers, but Cunha has that technical ability as an attacker, playing perfectly timed and weighted passes.
There is another example above, but this one also shows his vision: He can see his teammate making that run behind.
His technical ability to execute it is world-class, but what’s great about his creative output is his vision for playing that pass and anticipating the run.
Matheus Cunha Dribbling Ability
Matheus Cunha Dribbling pic.twitter.com/QKwocs2OV4
— Kurosh Moghtader (@Medianowatcher) March 10, 2025
Cunha is as Brazilian as it gets, a top dribbler even in a tough league like England, where defenders will shut you down if you try to have fun dribbling.
But you can see him toying with Manchester United until he draws the foul, bringing the team from a defending position to starting the counter, buying them time on the other end, and now winning a free kick.
Elite players can buy time for their team, draw fouls, and progress forward.
This area is where Cunha likes to drive forward, in that corner area around the box.
If he can send his player in the wrong direction, he can drive forward centrally into the open space.
Like many Brazilians, his body feints—the small movements in his feet and chest that can send players in the wrong direction—make him a great dribbler.
Matheus Cunha Defensive Duties
I mentioned earlier that he could work as a number 8 because of his high work rate and speed.
A combination of these two and his positional intelligence, which allows him to hold spaces while defending, make him a great asset.
As shown in the image above, he’s willing to put everything on the line.
Hot Take…Number 8 Role, Possibly?
Cunha is clearly an attacker, but seeing him in that 8 role would be interesting.
He has the work rate and speed to be almost a number 8, running on both ends of the pitch.
Although he would be placed higher than the regular 8, he would still have that creative outlet and attacking ability to shine.
Think of how Kevin De Bruyne plays his role at the 8, making higher runs and positioning himself slightly higher than his teammates, thereby creating forward runs to support the attack.
If he were to play as a second striker, which is better for him than a pure 9, he would resemble an Antoine Griezmann-esque player—think back to the 2016-2018 Griezmann, a pure second striker.
However, it would be interesting to see him in the current Griezmann role he plays at Atlético Madrid, the 8 that roams forward due to his high work rate.
Conclusion
Overall, Matheus Cunha is definitely set for a big move to a new club.
Arsenal have been watching the player for quite some time, but the troubling part about him getting a big move is whether that team will play him in a way that best utilises him.
To make the most of Cunha, you can’t put him in the number 9 role—He’s just not a pure 9.
It would work slightly as a false 9, but it would be more effective if you had him as a second striker with a real striker in front of him to link up with.
Arsenal would be an interesting choice, but it won’t work out if Arsenal play him as a pure 9.
Having him under Haaland or as a replacement for Kevin De Bruyne would have been an excellent signing for Manchester City. Or perhaps we see a Matheus Chuna transfer to Manchester United?
For teams abroad, it would be nice to see him return to Atlético Madrid when Griezmann retires, so that he can be placed right under Julian Alvarez or in a system at Bayern Munich with Harry Kane or their next striker.
However, as for his skill set, the potential to be world-class is undoubtedly there.
Which team will get the most out of him?
