Man Utd's incoming transfer was 'first spotted by Ronaldinho's former agent'

Matheus Cunha already boasts a varied football career which spans five countries, with the Brazilian first making his mark in Europe thanks to the ex-agent of his footballing idol . Coming off the most productive season of his career, he netted 17 goals in 36 appearances for , scoring 15 of those goals in the .

His starring role in maintaining the club's top-flight status has sparked intense transfer interest from clubs, with leading the race for the Brazil international.

Ruben Amorim's side have reportedly made positive contact with Cunha's camp over a summer move and plan to trigger his release clause of £62.5million ($83.7m), according to .

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A payment plan is the current sticking point between the two clubs, with United proposing to spread the fee over five years but insisting they want it paid across three instalments within the next two years, reports .

Despite this, a deal is still hoped to be brokered for the 26-year-old, who already has extensive experience having played for five clubs across five countries, including his youth career in Brazil.

Cunha’s path to the top began in 2017 when Eric Lovey spotted him playing for Brazilian side Coritiba’s youth team. Lovey, a former FIFA representative, was instrumental in the early career of Brazilian legend Ronaldinho serving as his confidante and agent and quickly became aware of Cunha’s potential.

Recalling Cunha’s talent to Swiss newspaper Blick in 2018, Lovey revealed how he always had big plans for the youngster. "As soon as I heard about him I wanted to follow his performances," Lovey said.

"During the Nike Cup in the USA he confirmed all the good things I had heard, especially against the youth team. He was able to get the better of English players who were already adult-sized. I wasn't there myself but hearing about how he played reinforced my desire to work with him."

Lovey's friendship with FC Sion president Christian Constantin saw him facilitate a move to Switzerland for Cunha who made a significant impact in the one season he spent there before RB Leipzig swooped in for his signature in 2018.

Despite showing promise at Sion, the Brazilian struggled to replicate his performance in the Bundesliga, netting only nine goals over 52 appearances for Leipzig, culminating in a transfer to Hertha BSC eighteen months later.

Hertha journalist Marc Schwitzky suggested a clash of styles between Cunha's "free spirit" approach and former Leipzig manager Julian Nagelsmann's tactical discipline may have hampered his success. "Probably the move to Leipzig came a little too early for Cunha, who was just 19 years old at the time of the transfer," he penned.

"It is natural that settling into one of the best leagues in the is difficult, especially for young players. In Cunha's case, however, there was also the fact that he wants to be an absolute free spirit on the field.

"At that time, his game was even wilder, even more individual. Julian Nagelsmann, then still coach at RB Leipzig, however, relies on a strong collective in which every player subordinates himself to the system and has to follow clear instructions.

"Cunha's talent flashed again and again at Leipzig, where he also provided great moments, but due to a lack of adaptability or tactical discipline, he was only used irregularly and thus again lacked consistency."

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