Manchester United have already made their pitch to Matheus Cunha as the transfer race for the Wolves star hots up.

The in-demand forward’s preferred summer destination is Old Trafford, talkSPORT understands.

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Such a signing would be a coup for Ruben Amorim’s side, given that the three other teams interested in his signature look like far more sure-fire bets for Europe’s top tier competition.

United have already held positive talks with Cunha’s camp and have told the forward they want him to play in the No.10 role.

Arsenal, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest have all registered their interest in the Brazilian who has a £62.5million release clause in his new contract.

That trio are all in the top four Champions League qualification spots in the Premier League and the Gunners may well win it.

Mikel Arteta’s side knocked holders and record champions Real Madrid out at the quarter-final stage, and now face Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals.

United, meanwhile, do still have a pathway, as they’re in the semi-finals of the Europa League against Athletic Bilbao and the winner of that competition also qualifies for Europe’s top tier.

However, the record English champions are in the midst of their worst-ever Premier League campaign, 14th in the table without a win in four games.

Their last result was a defeat against Cunha’s Wolves, with Pablo Sarabia scoring the only goal of the game on that occasion.

Yet Cunha has by far been their key attacker this season, with a team-leading 16 goals in all competitions plus a further four assists to boot.

Nevertheless, the hero status he achieved at Molineux quickly went missing earlier in April when he uploaded an Instagram post which read: “I will follow my dreams, not yours.”

The 25-year-old also argued with supporters in the comments before deleting the post.

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There have also been two huge moments of ill discipline from Cunha, who was first banned for grabbing an Ipswich staff member’s glasses, and later for a headbutt on Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez.

That has made the prospect of pocketting a club-record £62.5m an attractive one, and his departure is looking increasingly likely in the summer.

In January Forest made enquiries about the attacker but were rebuffed, yet talkSPORT understands they’re willing to make him their record signing should they qualify for the Champions League.

Newcastle and have also made contact with his representatives, while Arsenal remain an outside bet.

The Gunners have been keeping tabs on Cunha before a summer where a striker will be their priority signing, but other forwards are bigger priorities – Sporting’s Viktor Gyokeres and Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams.

Cunha is understood to want a quick resolution over his future.