Manchester United’s need to strengthen in the forward areas is well-known and the club’s initial plan to recruit a top-level goalscorer next summer might need to be accelerated considering what has transpired in the last couple of days.

After a massive summer splurge, the Red Devils were expected to have a quiet winter transfer window and at most a back-up right back option would have been explored.

But Cristiano Ronaldo‘s explosive interview with Piers Morgan has put paid to those plans. The Portuguese attacked every aspect of the club — from Erik ten Hag to how he felt that the club betrayed him.

United need a striker in January

Former players like Gary Neville and Wayne Rooney were also not spared while scathing comments also came the way of the Glazers and former interim manager Ralf Rangnick.

The club have no option but to discuss a potential severance with their star asset and Ten Hag himself is in favour of not keeping him on board anymore.

As the Spanish media today writes about the future of Atletico Madrid striker Matheus Cunha, it’s Manchester United who are named as a potential destination for him.(marca)

— RumorsTransfersNews24/7 📰 (@rumorstransfers) November 14, 2022

If the player were to be cut loose in January, there is also the question of whom to bring in to replace the Portuguese striker. Considering the difficult winter transfer market, elite options are few and far between.

One player whose current club could be open to a move is Matheus Cunha, a reported United target last summer. He has not had the best of seasons at Atletico Madrid.

The Brazilian forward has appeared in 17 games this season but is yet to register a goal. And that led to Tite not calling him up for Brazil’s World Cup squad.

He has fallen to fifth-choice at the Rojiblancos, with Joao Félix, Antoinne Griezmann, Alvaro Morata and Angel Correa all ahead of him in the pecking order.

Matheus Cunha could be an option

As per Marca, Diego Simeone’s initial plan was to use him as an alternative to the young Portuguese and the Frenchman but his poor record in front of goal has led to his demotion.

It is easy to forget that last season, the Brazil international struck six times in La Liga and also provided the same number of assists despite playing the equivalent of 11 games in total in terms of minutes.

And that had led to United speaking to the player’s representatives in the summer over a move but Atletico categorically refused to sell the striker.

But now, with no Champions League football and the economic pitfalls associated with it, an exit is possible in January.

Whether United do target the 23-year-old in January remains to be seen. There are also rumours that the Madrid club might even be open to offloading Felix due to the breakdown in communication between the striker and the manager.