A £60 million-plus Manchester United signing from Brazil would normally be guaranteed a place in the starting line-up in the biggest game of the season at Liverpool. And yet Matheus Cunha is most likely to spend the first part of Sunday’s visit to Anfield in the Premier League warming the bench due to the renaissance of another £60m man in Mason Mount.
Cunha was hailed as being a transformational player for United in the mould of Eric Cantona when he signed from Wolves for £62.5m ($83m) in the summer but the Brazilian is yet to take off at Old Trafford. He has no goals and no assists in seven games in all competitions and arguably the most impactful thing he has done was for the wrong reason: missing a penalty in the shootout at Grimsby leading to the club’s elimination from the Carabao Cup second round and their first ever defeat to a fourth division team.
It’s a very different story for Mount, whose previous two seasons at the club since his big-money move from Chelsea were marred by injuries. The arrival of Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo did not bode well for Mount, who was already struggling for a place in the team due to the consistent performances and incredible injury record of Bruno Fernandes.
But Mount has quietly gone about impressing Ruben Amorim and usurped Cunha in the starting line-up for United’s last game against Sunderland, playing a starring role in the 2-0 win. It is a pattern that is likely to be repeated on Sunday, especially as Mount is well rested due to no longer being part of the England squad, while Cunha has been halfway around the world with Brazil duty in Japan and South Korea.
Getty Images SportNo goals or assists
While Cunha had scored 27 goals and provided 13 assists in the Premier League over the last two seasons for a struggling Wolves, he has been unable to make the step up to United so far. He had an impressive debut against Arsenal and showed flashes against Fulham but the shock defeat at Grimsby, in which he spurned the chance to win the shootout after five penalties when his casually-taken penalty was saved, stunted his progress.
Just half an hour into the next game at home to Burnley he pulled a muscle and had to be substituted. Amorim blamed the injury on the fact Cunha had played all the minutes at Grimsby. Mount also got injured in that same first half after a promising 45 minutes and Amorim crossed his fingers that neither injury was bad, saying "We need those guys really bad to be really competitive."
The pair missed the heavy defeat to Manchester City, returning as substitutes in the win over Chelsea. Cunha started the miserable defeat at Brentford, with Mount only a late substitute. Even withstanding United’s poor start to the season and their three defeats in seven games, Cunha’s record in the team does not read well. As well as contributing to zero goals, United have not won a game in which he has played 45 minutes or more.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportLeading by example
Mount has only one more victory but as United seek a first win at Anfield in 10 seasons against a Liverpool team who are showing their vulnerability, he looks to be the more appealing option.
"If you're a manager you'd love to have him in your team,” former United defender Phil Jones told GOAL, via BetMGM. "I think when you talk about leaders, everyone automatically associates leaders with that powerful voice in the dressing room, you know on the pitch they're waving their arms and kissing the badge and all that sort of stuff. But he leads in other ways, he leads by example on the pitch. He scores goals, he creates chances, assist, but his work ethic, his passion to go and sprint 40 yards to close the ball down [is just as impressive]. He does all the hard work.
"I loved watching him at Chelsea and when we signed him I was thinking, 'what a signing that is, brilliant'. It didn't quite work out for him in the first season. I've been there where you come back from one injury, you get a little another niggle, and it's two weeks out and it's hard to really gather momentum. But I really, really like watching him play. He was terrific against Sunderland the other day, scored the goal, great goal, great touch and finish.
"And I'm pleased for him personally, because I know probably the thoughts and feelings he had last season, and you know, he's come to a massive club like Man United and just wants to do well and play football. But, yeah, I'm really pleased he's playing well, and he's an important part of the team now."
Getty Images Sport'You trust him'
Mount has been talked of in disparaging terms in the past, of being a ‘teacher’s pet’ who has been favoured by every coach he has had. But since when was doing what your coach wanted you to do a bad thing?
"You trust him," said former United defender Rio Ferdinand. "Pressing, energy, a work ethic, those are the three basics. He could be playing rubbish, a 2/10 with the ball but you're gonna get the other side to him. So if you’re a manager you’d take that, I want the quality and I need the quality but at least if I know I'm definitely gonna get hard work graft, intensity that could feed out to the other team more often than not you're gonna go with that player."
Mount was well liked by Frank Lampard, who got the best out of him during his loan spell at Derby County and at Chelsea, and by Thomas Tuchel, with whom he won the Champions League in 2021 and contributed to 21 goals in the 2021-22 season.
Erik ten Hag was enamoured with Mount when he saw him play for Vitesse against Ajax in 2018 and five years later he jumped at the chance to sign him. Indeed, the coach urged United to pip Liverpool to his signature when Chelsea put him up for sale with one year remaining on his contract. Still, many questioned the £55m fee plus a potential £5m in add-ons United paid to get him. Ten Hag never got to see Mount thrive as injuries limited him to just five league starts in that first season. In his second season it was just eight league starts.
Getty Images Sport'He wants it so bad'
Amorim was impressed with Mount’s determination to turn his Old Trafford career around when he started working with him after succeeding Ten Hag. "Mason Mount… I have to tell you I love that kid," he raved in November. "You can look in his eyes that he wants this so bad. And this is the most important thing for me. I know he was suffering from injuries, he was not on the pitch, but now he’s trying to stay fit and we hope he can continue to be fit, to show all the talent that he’s shown in Chelsea."
But less than a month into Amorim’s tenure Mount sustained an injury against Manchester City in December and did not return until the following April. The midfielder won his coach over again, scoring twice in the Europa League semi-final second leg against Athletic Bilbao. He performed so well that he earned a starting spot in the final against Tottenham at the expense of Alejandro Garnacho.
The decision backfired for Amorim, who was grilled about it in the press conference following the 1-0 defeat. That was when he criticised Garnacho, incensing the player and leading to the Argentine giving the fiery interview on Spanish television which led to him being forced out of the club. But it did not affect Amorim’s opinion of Mount. And after the Sunderland win the coach heaped praise on the midfielder. "He can defend really well, he is really smart, he can attack really well," he said.