Matheus Cunha's Madrid misery: What went wrong for Man Utd maverick at Atletico?

Cunha was something of a surprise signing at Atletico. In the summer transfer window of 2021, the club had been pursuing Dusan Vlahovic and Rafa Mir as their primary attacking targets, and didn't turn their attention to Cunha until late August.

However, the overarching feeling among fans after confirmation of his €30m (£25m/$33m) arrival from Hertha Berlin was excitement. Across one-and-a-half seasons in the Bundesliga, Cunha scored 13 goals and set up another five; solid numbers considering Hertha's status as a mid-table side.

Versatile enough to play on either wing, as a No.9 or as an attacking midfielder, Cunha looked like a clever signing for the defending Spanish champions, who needed extra competition for 34-year-old talisman Luis Suarez.

"Being at Atleti is an unbelievable feeling," Cunha said in his first interview with the club's media channel. "I see Atleti as one of the best clubs in the world. I always had in my head the dream to play at the highest level possible and being here is where I want to be. Everyone has their own story and I want to write mine here, with plenty of success like the other Brazilians that have played here. I want my name to be remembered by the fans."

Cunha was following in the footsteps of fellow Brazilians, such as Juninho Paulista, Filipe Luis and Miranda, though Atletico didn't have a deep history of success with Samba forwards, outside of 1980s icon Baltazar. As a highly-creative risk taker, Cunha's profile didn't mesh well with Simeone's pragmatic ethos either, and it quickly became clear that he was facing an uphill battle to win the trust of both the coach and supporters.

Suarez remained Atletico's lead striker for the 2021-22 campaign, and they also managed to re-sign Antoine Griezmann on loan from Barcelona on deadline day, which didn't help Cunha. The former RB Leipzig and Hertha starlet sat behind Griezmann and club-record signing Joao Felix in the pecking order right from the off, and consequently didn't make his first start until December.

Cunha had limited opportunities to stamp his mark, which understandably caused him to force things when he was on the pitch, often giving the ball away cheaply and putting the team on the backfoot. It was a disappointing season for Atletico all round as they dropped to third in La Liga, exited the Copa del Rey at the round-of-16 stage and lost to Manchester City in the Champions League quarter-finals, with Cunha only contributing seven goals across 38 appearances.

But when you consider six of them came in just eight La Liga starts, and that he endured a six-week spell on the sidelines with a knee injury, it's fair to say he couldn't have done much more. Atletico were not considering a sale at that stage, despite Cunha being linked with United, and showed their faith by handing Cunha the No.9 shirt after the expiration of Suarez's contract.

He was delighted to inherit the jersey that also been worn by legends such as David Villa and Fernando Torres, as he told Globo Esporte: "I hope to live up to all the trust the board and coaching staff have placed in me. It’s a great responsibility, but I feel extremely prepared."

Cunha enjoyed a full and fruitful pre-season, scoring in thumping 4-0 wins over Numancia and Juventus, and had both a personal physiotherapist and nutritionist on hand to help him thrive technically and physically. "I've become an even more complete player," he added to Globo. "The intensity level in-game and in training is very high. We always work and train to the limit. It's made me evolve."

Unfortunately for Cunha, though, Atletico were never planning for him to be Suarez's direct successor. Alvaro Morata returned to the Metropolitano that summer after a two-year loan spell at Juventus, and Simeone ultimately chose him to lead the line for the start of the 2022-23 campaign.

That decision was vindicated when Morata scored twice in a 3-0 win at Getafe on the opening weekend, with Cunha having to make do with a seven-minute cameo off the bench. Simeone stuck with Morata from that point, and Cunha wasn't even guaranteed to play when the Spaniard was rested, with Griezmann and Felix sometimes deployed upfront in a 3-5-2 formation.

Spending every week on the bench took a toll on Cunha this time. He made 17 appearances in all competitions between August and early November, but only two came as a starter, and he didn't register a single goal. As a result, Cunha missed out on a spot in Brazil's squad for the mid-season World Cup in Qatar.

"It was the first big break for my [mental] health in my career," Cunha explained when reflecting on that moment to BBC Sport last year. "To be Brazilian and then think about the World Cup, it's everything for us, you know. If you conquer this chance to play, [you will] make everyone more proud than normal. When you are not there, you feel like I did everything for nothing. It was a bit like a depression. When I arrived home, I cried and then I passed all my emotions to the people who really care about me."

Cunha's last game in Atletico colours was a forgettable 1-1 draw with Espanyol on November 6, in which he played 17 minutes from the bench. By that stage, club bosses were already planning for the January transfer window, where they needed to recoup roughly €30m (£25m/$34m) in sales because of the team's shock group-stage exit from the Champions League.

With Morata, Griezmann, Felix and cult hero Angel Correa all ahead of Cunha, it became obvious that the Brazilian would be sacrificed so Atletico could balance the books. On December 26, Wolves confirmed they had reached an agreement to sign Cunha on loan with an obligation to buy for €50m (£42m/$56m), and he officially completed the move to Molineux six days later.

"He is a boy who gave us everything he had, we gave him everything we had," Simeone said when quizzed on the deal. However, Cunha clearly didn't agree with the first part of that statement.

In an emotional farewell message to Atleti fans on social media, Cunha appeared to take a shot at the Atletico boss, writing: "Football is like that, like any other profession. There are those who are in charge because at some point they were important, they have their hierarchies and make the decisions, and then you also have to make yours."

Cunha had every right to feel aggrieved, with Spanish football pundit and former United forward Terry Gibson among those who felt he never got a fair shake at the Metropolitano. "I think he’s a loss to Atletico Madrid," Gibson told The Athletic after Cunha's departure. "I think Cunha is probably someone they would have liked to have kept, but the financial implications of Wolves making an offer they did were clear.

"He was a player who wasn’t a regular starter, although he probably should have been, and the money was probably too much to turn down. He gave them a lot during the brief time he was at the club and he was always a player you looked at and thought should be getting more starts. But sometimes in football if you’ve got someone like Morata, who has a higher value in terms of finances, then he has to play, but there were a lot of times you thought Cunha should be starting ahead of Morata."

Cunha's father Carmelo, meanwhile, pointed the finger of blame squarely at the manager, telling Globo Esporte: "With Simeone's system, there's no way a striker can be successful. It's very difficult."

Perhaps Simeone harbours some regret how things worked out, because Cunha has been a massive hit in the Premier League. He registered a combined 48 goals and assists in 92 appearances for Wolves, winning the club's Player of the Season award in 2024-25 after almost single-handedly saving them from relegation.

Aside from Bruno Fernandes, no one was more influential than Cunha in United's initial resurgence under Carrick, either. He also made his long-awaited World Cup debut over the summer, scoring three goals in five matches for Brazil. The foundations are in place for Cunha to go on and become a world-class player.

It should be noted, though, that Atletico are in a much healthier position than United at the moment. Simeone's men are second in La Liga and won't hold any fear about hosting United, having already beaten Real Madrid in a derby clash at the Metropolitano this season.

In stark contrast, Carrick's Red Devils are 12 points behind early Premier League leaders Manchester City already, and Cunha only has one goal to his name from six appearances. Of course, he will be out to exorcise some demons at the Metropolitano, but Cunha's main aim is to spark his - and United's - season into life.