Three ways Manchester United could line up with Matheus Cunha and Liam Delap | OneFootball

Ruben Amorim hopeful of huge double transfer deal to rejuvenate his attack

Manchester United are pressing ahead with their summer transfer plans and want to add two talented forwards to the squad.

United are reported to have made positive progress on a deal for versatile Wolves forward Matheus Cunha, and remain among Liam Delap’s many suitors who will hope to pick up the bruising centre-forward on a cut-price deal once Ipswich’s relegation is confirmed .

It would be a nice problem for Amorim to have, but the pressure will be on him to deliver results as United stand to invest close to £100m in the pair’s services.

His three-at-the-back system should easily accommodate both men, but whether he can find the right balance between them is the key.

Here, Standard Sport looks at three ways United could line up with Cunha and Delap...

Cunha as a playmaker behind Delap in a 3-4-2-1

While Cunha’s versatility is among his most useful qualities, he has played his best football as a No10.

His performance against Fulham in November exemplified this as he left Craven Cottage with two goals and an assist. He created his first goal from nothing, beating the Fulham defence as he ran from deep to finish Mario Lemina’s ball over the top, later assisting Joao Gomes with a tidy pass through a congested penalty area. A similar late run helped him to a goal against Ipswich.

Amorim has a penchant for twin No10s. This season, it has often been club captain Bruno Fernandes and either Kobbie Mainoo or Alejandro Garnacho. The latter looks set to drop out of the squad, having managed just five league goals and one assist in 32 appearances this season.

The prospect of playing in front of Fernandes and Cunha, then, should be enough to make Delap’s mouth water. He has been limited by Ipswich’s struggles this season, but with two effective 10s just behind him, he would have the freedom to sit higher and reap the rewards of their creative play.

Delap's pace and physicality set him apart

Arsenal FC via Getty Images

Delap and Cunha as joint strikers in a 3-4-1-2

Delap’s qualities as a striker are well known - he has been a thorn in the side of every Premier League defence, and it’d be a surprise to see Amorim deploy him anywhere else. Blindingly quick and plenty physical, he peaked with a brace against Aston Villa in September, opening with a textbook striker’s finish before dribbling from halfway to add his second.

But Cunha can also serve as an effective striker. To move the Brazilian into the front line and leave Fernandes sole creative freedom would pose difficult questions for any defender, as all three boast impressive goalscoring records.

The pair could operate effectively as strike partners. Cunha’s ability to score with either foot would permit Amorim some tactical flexibility and boos this attacking threat, while his relative experience over Delap would allow the Briton time to grow into his new role.

Cunha is enjoying his best goalscoring season since joining Wolves in 2022

Jacob King/PA Wire

Cunha out wide with Delap as a false nine in a 3-4-3

If Amorim were to take a more experimental approach, he could look to a front three with Cunha on the left wing, playing off of a false-nine Delap.

Cunha has appeared in that position for Wolves this season, scoring against Chelsea off the left flank after catching Malo Gusto out of position. To adopt this approach would also open the door for Garnacho to come back into the squad in a wider role.

Tall, strong, and reasonably technical, the former Manchester City youngster Delap has the characteristics necessary to transition from a target man role to a more supportive one, holding up play to create space for his wingers to get in behind.