Man Utd told they can land 'new Cantona' with signing from Premier League rival

Man Utd are pushing ahead with a £62.5m bid for Matheus Cunha this summer, with the Wolves star compared to Eric Cantona in terms of his potential impact at Old Trafford

Matheus Cunha can have the same impact as Eric Cantona did at Manchester United and transform the under-performing squad into champions again. United are pushing ahead with a £62.5million move for Wolves forward Cunha, with the 25-year-old boss Ruben Amorim's top summer transfer target.

Cantona, signed from Leeds for £1.2m in 1992, was the catalyst for United's maiden Premier League triumph in 1993, which ended the club's 26-year wait to be crowned English champions. Former England star Chris Waddle reckons Cunha could have the same transformational impact for United as Cantona did and backed the Brazil forward to become an Old Trafford icon if he makes the move.

“United have an ageing squad,” said Waddle. “Amorim, who has a massive job on his hands, has brought a lot of young players through.

“They have to keep their hands off the panic button this summer. They need to give him time, and there are players there that he needs to move on.

“Cunha, though, is a fantastic footballer. He can be temperamental, but perhaps United would be the making of him. You can’t be mardy at a club like that, the fans will let you know.

“He probably thinks he’s at the stage when he should be at a club like United. Wolves are a big club, but Cunha will be looking for another level up.

“He’s got a huge opportunity here. If he’s one of the players to turn United around and challenging again, he could be like Eric Cantona, the man who changed United.”

As well as Cunha, United are looking to add a proven goalscorer this summer, as well as a creative midfielder, as Amorim prepares to reshape his squad in his first summer transfer window.

Waddle said United need to sign several players this summer if they are serious about climbing the table, with Amorim's side currently down in 15 th place in the Premier League.

“The club needs more than Cunha, they need big investment,” said Waddle. “Four or five players need to come in, but the even bigger challenge will be getting rid of some. They’re on massive wages.

“The clubs that will want them won’t have the financial muscle United do, and it’ll be tough to sell them on to Italy or Spain. They lost 4-3 to Brentford but until Amorim gets his own team together, it’s too early to judge.

"I think top six is still a massive challenge for United next season, so they need two or three years with Amorim in charge. They have to stop changing managers. The players coming in, they need to show they can handle the pressure, too.”

Waddle claimed it is not worth United re-signing Paul Pogba, who is available as a free agent after serving a doping ban, and warned other clubs against moving for him.

“Pogba was an outstanding young player,” said Waddle. “When he came to United the first time, everybody thought he was going to be the new Michel Platini.

“Then he was at Juventus, did well, but then lost his way. He's been out of the game and he’s in his 30s. After the last few years, Pogba is basically unproven. He was struggling even before he got banned. He wasn't playing great.

“We know he's got talent, but it's a big risk. These guys demand money. They're not sitting there and thinking 'I don't want any money, I'm just trying to get myself back in the game'. You've got to pay these players and they're not cheap.

“Has he got that desire and passion? Has he got all that? Has he got that to come back and prove to everybody wrong? That's the question.”