Joe Cole worried about 'maverick' Man Utd summer signing: 'It's a gamble'

Former Chelsea and England winger Joe Cole (Picture: Getty)

Joe Cole fears Manchester United could be taking a gamble with Matheus Cunha as he expressed reservations about the Brazilian’s attitude.

The Red Devils moved quickly at the start of the transfer window to trigger Cunha’s £62.5million release clause at Wolves, with the 26-year-old putting pen to paper on a five-year contract at Old Trafford.

Cunha enjoyed an excellent season at Molineux last season, racking up 15 goals and six assists in the Premier League, and there are hopes he can replicate such form to help transform Ruben Amorim’s misfiring attack.

In that effort the Brazilian has been joined by Bryan Mbeumo, who signed from Brentford, while a deal for RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko is expected to be announced in the coming days.

But while full of praise for Cunha’s talents with the ball at his feet, former Chelsea and England winger Cole fears that the Brazilian’s maverick tendencies may not be helpful behind the scenes at Old Trafford.

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‘The thing that worries me about Cunha – he’s a brilliant player, wonderful goalscorer and can do everything – but you do hear things about his attitude,’ Cole told TNT Sports.

‘I wouldn’t want to say he is a bad lad because I wouldn’t want to say that, but he’s a bit of a maverick and I’ve heard people talk about him like that.

Cole has reservations about Matheus Cunha’s attitude (Picture: Getty)

‘The last thing that United dressing room needs is another maverick, there are mavericks everywhere putting stuff up on social media and all that.

‘You hear too much coming out of that dressing room so it’s a gamble with Cunha.’

Not everyone has those reservations, however, with Amorim full of praise for the impact that Cunha has already had upon the United squad in pre-season.

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‘He’s a loud guy that’s really important in this moment. When he’s upset, you can feel it in the environment and that’s good,’ he said earlier this month.

‘When you play some games and he loses, he’s a different guy, and that’s good.

‘He has some characteristics that we miss last season, so I’m really happy with him and the other guys.’

United bring their pre-season to a close on Saturday when they host Italian side Fiorentina at Old Trafford.

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