Man United continue £52m pursuit despite Matheus Cunha chat as 'scouts sent on mission' Manchester United scouts travelled to watch a high-priority transfer target after seemingly ignoring Matheus Cunha's advice about the current squad Comments Sport Abbie Meehan Senior Sports Writer 11:51, 27 Apr 2026 View 3 Images Matheus Cunha's request was denied (Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images) Manchester United have stepped up their pursuit of Rafael Leao , despite Matheus Cunha insisting that the club has no need to recruit another winger. Club scouts were in attendance as AC Milan played out a 0-0 draw with Juventus on Sunday evening. The 26-year-old has two years remaining on his contract and has emerged as a transfer target for United. Italian outlet Calciomercato reports that the Portugal international is not "untouchable" and could be lured away from Serie A for approximately £52million. United are reportedly intent on overhauling their squad and are keen to bring in a new left winger, according to The Telegraph . Get MEN Premium now for just £1 HERE – or get involved in our United WhatsApp group by clicking HERE . You can also join our United Facebook page by clicking HERE and don't miss out on our brilliant selection of newsletters HERE. While midfield recruitment remains the primary focus during the summer transfer window, securing Leao would considerably strengthen their attacking options. He has 12 goal contributions across 26 appearances in Italy this season, drawing attention from numerous Saudi Pro League clubs as well as Barcelona. This confirmed interest points towards a revised role for summer signing Cunha, who has featured 10 times at left wing this campaign. Cunha has registered five goal contributions from that position, with 21 appearances at centre-forward and No.10 combined. View 3 Images Rafael Leao could be heading to Manchester this summer (Image: Claudio Villa/AC Milan via Getty Images) The Brazilian was eager to demonstrate his value to Michael Carrick upon the latter's arrival as interim manager in January, maintaining that he could perform effectively out wide. Speaking to TNT Sports, Cunha said: "To be honest, I know I have these skills to dribble and this is amazing because I spoke to Michael when he arrived. He said 'hey we need one winger, maybe we'll put Patrick [Dorgu] there because he's on the left.' I said to him 'no, you can put me there and I will do the things.' "Now when there's training, I dribble more, I have more winger qualities. To get the ball, go one against one. Everything like that. I played more in the middle at Wolves. To show this kind of skill, I feel like I can adapt well in different positions." View 3 Images Matheus Cunha believes he could do the job as a left winger (Image: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images) Despite this personal concession from Cunha, United's continued pursuit of Leao demonstrates that the club remains eager to strengthen their wide options. The 26-year-old has seven goal contributions in alternative positions so far, and won over the supporters with his match-winning contribution against Chelsea last week. Carrick has also been generous in his praise for the adaptable attacker, noting that he brings a distinctive set of attributes to the forward line alongside Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko. Speaking to TNT Sports following the Chelsea victory, the United boss said: "Between them, all of our front players can give us something different. "I think that Bryan and Matheus have performed really well this season and Ben has also shown he is finding his way and still managed to score important goals. "Sometimes it can take a while to get used to things after arriving at the club, but those boys have shown their attributes, personalities and the flexibility where they can play in different roles and it's good for the team to have players who can help us in that aspect." Article continues below Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more £44 Sky Get the deal here Product Description Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL. Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.
Curated by Taleb Kabbara · Source: www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk