Manchester United playmaker Matheus Cunha has revealed that he told interim manager Michael Carrick the club did not need to sign a winger, insisting he could step up and fill the role. The Brazilian disclosed that Carrick had expressed a need for additional options on the left flank, having deployed defender Patrick Dorgu in a more advanced position during some of his early matches in charge.
However, Cunha, who predominantly played as a central attacking midfielder during his time at Wolverhampton Wanderers, stated that he assured Carrick he could perform effectively out wide. Since arriving in the Premier League, the Brazilian ranks second for successful dribbles, completing 190 attempts.
Unsurprisingly, Manchester City's Jeremy Doku leads the standings with 259 dribbles, followed by Arsenal's Bukayo Saka with 182, Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo with 165, and West Ham United's Jarrod Bowen rounding out the top five with 155.
Cunha's Conversation with Carrick
Speaking to TNT Sports, Cunha elaborated on the discussion. "It's crazy. Jeremy [Doku], everyone is afraid when he has the ball because he will dribble, and that is his biggest skill. Saka, of course, Semenyo, everyone. We know these guys are very direct. When they are one against one, it's impactful in the game. 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."
Cunha is competing with more natural wingers and currently leads the way compared to his more traditional number 10 counterparts in terms of dribbling statistics.
Carrick's Praise for Cunha
Carrick has also heaped praise on Cunha, suggesting the Brazilian offers Manchester United a different dimension this season. Speaking to TNT Sports after a victory over Chelsea, Carrick 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. It's good for the team to have players who can help us in that aspect."
