What if Matheus Cunha didn’t leave Wolves this summer

Of all the ins and outs of the summer transfer window, Matheus Cunha’s move to Manchester United stings the most.

Wolves had to bid farewell to their best player from last season, and the absence has been felt around Molineux.

Matheus Cunha’s 15 goals last season carried Wolves through some tough times, and allowed for the mid-season resurgence we saw under Vitor Pereira.

This season, the attacking play has been far from what’s needed to get points in the Premier League, but what if the Brazilian never left Molineux?

Wolves’ season with Matheus Cunha

Let’s go game by game.

Man City’s 4-0 win is fairly concrete, but the second game of the campaign, where 10-man Wolves fell to defeat against Bournemouth, was one crying out for some attacking inspiration.

Bournemouth went up 1-0 after five minutes, but from then on, posed little threat. It’s exactly the kind of game Cunha would have thrived in.

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Everton and Leeds were simply poor defensive performances, but that 1-0 loss away to Newcastle is somewhere Cunha could have changed the course of events, as he did so much last season.

One of Wolves’ biggest problems this season has been finding creative outlets in the attack. That burden has fallen too often on players further back the pitch.

But the last two games are where Cunha very well might have won us four extra points. How many times last season did we see the Wolves star press the issue, racking up a goal and an assist, or two goals? Wolves failed to get results against Spurs and Brighton because they didn’t have that player to create a constant flow of chances and push to extend their lead.

It’s the positivity of Cunha that feels like such a loss. Jorgen Strand Larsen is a brilliant goalscorer, but he needs to be facilitated. His old teammate would take games by the scruff of the neck.

It’s not insane to speculate that Wolves would have at least two, if not more, extra wins with someone like Cunha leading the attack.

That would give this campaign a much different complexion.

Someone needs to step into Cunha’s role

It’s safe to say Wolves need to fill the Cunha void. Their inability to do so to this point is probably the biggest reason why they sit at the bottom of the Premier League table.

Jhon Arias was thought to be Cunha’s replacement, but he hasn’t found his attacking form yet.

Perhaps Fer Lopez will step into that role, though he still feels very raw. The same can be said for Mateus Mane, who looks destined to reach those heights, but maybe not quite yet.

That’s what Wolves are missing. They need a player who can bring quality when the team isn’t performing. That’s what endeared Cunha to Wolves fans so much in the first place.