The Impact of Matheus Cunha on the Premier League Transfer Market
On June 2, 2025, Manchester United announced the signing of Matheus Cunha, Wolverhampton Wanderers’ forward, for £62.5 million. This move, one of the first in the summer market, marked the beginning of a trend in transfer prices in the Premier League.
Although Cunha’s signing was not motivated by United’s participation in the Club World Cup, they did take advantage of the transfer window to get ahead and improve their performance after a disappointing season. However, the impact of this transfer extended throughout the league, influencing the prices of other key players.
The New Standard in the Premier League
Cunha’s arrival at Manchester United set a new price standard in the Premier League, with several attacking players moving between clubs for similar sums, between 50 and 60 million pounds. This was the starting point for many of the summer transfers.
After the announcement of the agreement for Cunha, almost two months passed before Bryan Mbeumo was signed. In that period, other significant transfers were finalized, such as João Pedro to Chelsea, Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham Hotspur, Anthony Elanga to Newcastle United, and Noni Madueke to Arsenal.
Even the failed transfer of Morgan Gibbs-White to Tottenham was valued at £60 million, demonstrating the influence of the prices set by Cunha’s signing.
The value of a transfer becomes blurred when negotiations reach the tens of millions. There are many variables, and each club will point to a host of different factors to establish a selling price.
Transfer market analysis.
El precio de 62.5 millones de libras por Matheus Cunha influyó en el costo del fichaje de Bryan Mbeumo.The Brentford, during the negotiations for Mbeumo, used Cunha’s signing as a reference, valuing the Cameroonian player above the Brazilian. After several rejected offers, a transfer was finally agreed for an initial 66 million pounds, which could rise to 71 million.
Although Mbeumo and Cunha were of similar ages and had similar goal records, Mbeumo’s contractual situation, with only one year remaining on his contract, generated a debate about the final price.The transfer of Viktor Gyökeres to Arsenal was also influenced by Cunha’s signing. Sporting CP president Frederico Varandas used the transfers of Cunha and Mbeumo as a reference to justify Gyökeres’ value.
Following negotiations, Gyökeres was signed by Arsenal for an initial 54 million pounds, plus 8.5 million in add-ons. Although Gyökeres’ age (27 years old) was a subject of debate, Cunha’s transfer served as a benchmark for establishing his value.
Similarly, Noni Madueke’s signing for Arsenal was closed for a price similar to Jamie Gittens’ to Chelsea, demonstrating how clubs adjust their signing strategies.
New Reference Points: Ekitiké and Wirtz
The signing of Florian Wirtz by Liverpool, for an initial 100 million pounds, also impacted the market, demonstrating the economic power of the Premier League and raising prices. This influenced the transfer of Hugo Ekitike to Liverpool, whose price was between that of Cunha and Wirtz.
Ekitike, after a standout season in the Bundesliga, became a new benchmark. As a result, Chelsea values Nicolas Jackson in a range of 80 to 100 million pounds, and clubs looking for Sesko receive similar responses.
The comparison between players like Gyökeres, Cunha, Mbeumo, Ekitike, and Jackson, considering age and position, demonstrates how transfers are based on clear benchmarks. This practice, although not new, has been clearly evident in the current market.
