Wolves have a number of seriously talented players on the books at that moment – and Gary O’Neil reckons one ‘should’ actually be playing for a ‘top, top club’.
Wolves fans are very optimistic about the coming season.
While Wolves have lost Max Kilman and Pedro Neto, there is a general feeling that this squad is the strongest it has been for some time.
Gary O’Neil improved so many players last season, and fans are hoping that they can all kick on in 2024/25, with European football the objective.
One man who will no doubt be key in any push for Europe is Matheus Cunha, who is a firm favourite for the manager.
O’Neil was speaking about the Brazillian recently, and if it wasn’t clear how talented he thinks he is, then it certainly is now.
O’Neil says Wolves star Matheus Cunha ‘should be playing for a top, top club’
Cunha joined Wolves midway through the 2022/23 season on the watch of Julen Lopetegui.
Wolves paid a lot of money to sign Cunha – £44 million to be exact.
This made him the club’s record signing, and the pressure was on for him to deliver. He struggled initially as he tried to adapt to English football and it also seemed as though Lopetegui could not find his best position.
But last season Cunha thrived under O’Neil, who regularly praised him throughout the season.
O’Neil recently sat down for an interview with The Athletic’s Adam Crafton in Florida, after the journalist was given access to the club’s pre-season trip to the US.
O’Neil spoke about Cunha – who stands a small chance of recovering from his injury to face Arsenal this weekend – and he very much feels he has the quality to play for a huge club.
Without showing any disrespect to Wolves, O’Neil admitted: “I’m trying to maximise what he is, because talent-wise and physical attributes-wise, he should be playing for a top, top club. I’m not saying that Wolves isn’t, but we all know what I mean.
“I spent the early part of our relationship trying to get him to be how I wanted him. It’s great he’s standing where I ask him to, or that he’s pressing more, but we’re not going to maximise him like that. I could get anybody to do that.
“So I realised that maybe in pushing him too far this way, you lose what he actually is. Now we have conversations all the time around his responsibility to be enough for the team without losing that individual brilliance.”
O’Neil is right, Cunha is a serious talent
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O’Neil is right about Cunha and Wolves are lucky to have a player like this.
He is extremely unique with his amazing ball-carrying ability, and works really effectively playing off a main striker. He is also now much better in front of goal than when he first arrived at Molineux.
£60,000-a-week star Cunha could very well play for an elite club in Europe, and it is actually a little surprising he hasn’t had more speculation than he has.
It has only really been suggested so far that Manchester United are admirers of the Brazilian.
But should he have a similar season to what he did in 2023/24, then clubs will surely be flocking to sign him. Hopefully though, Wolves can keep hold of him for as long as possible.