Manchester United are reportedly continuing to monitor the situation involving Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Matheus Cunha.
The West Midlands outfit announced earlier this month that they had successfully negotiated a new long-term contract with the Brazil international.
Being handed fresh terms was reward for the 25-year-old contributing 11 goals and four assists from 23 Premier League appearances this campaign.
However, at a time when Wolves sit just two points clear of the top-flight relegation zone, a release clause has allegedly been inserted in Cunha's new deal.
That was a natural reaction to widespread interest in his signature during the winter transfer window, albeit with Wolves realistically never likely to sell their most prized asset given their position in the Premier League.
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Man United face competition for Cunha
Man United were also never likely to be able to afford Cunha at the midway point of the season, Ruben Amorim having needed to be prepared to allow players to leave to reduce the club's outgoings.
Nevertheless, according to AS, the Red Devils are among the teams who are keeping a close eye on any developments with Cunha.
The report alleges that Cunha's release clause stands in the region of £60m, a fee that United will considering spending if the player continues his current form.
Tottenham Hotspur are also said to be interested in negotiating a deal for the player in the summer, the release clause becoming active regardless of whether Wolves retain their Premier League status for another 12 months.
Arsenal and Nottingham Forest were credited with an interest in January and could potentially return for the former Atletico Madrid player if Champions League football is secured for 2025-26.
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United a perfect fit for Cunha?
Although Man United are languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League standings, it is undisputable that Cunha is a perfect fit for Amorim's system.
The Portuguese seemingly views Cunha as someone who can play as one of the two creators behind a main centre-forward, the role that he has taken on under Vitor Pereira at Wolves.
Cunha has four goals and one assist from his eight outings under the recently-appointed head coach, but his defensive contribution is under-rated with the forward having incredibly made seven tackles against Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup on Sunday.
That represented the first time in any of the top-five European leagues that a player had recorded at least five shots on target and made more than five successful tackles in the same game this season.
Darren Plant
