Why Man United may only spend £12.5m on Matheus Cunha signing this summer

Manchester United appear to be wasting no time as they pursue a summer deal for Wolves forward Matheus Cunha.

Over the past decade, fans have grown used to Manchester United acting slowly with transfers with big-money deals often concluded in the final days of the window.

However, it seems Ineos are keen to change that with United holding positive talks with Matheus Cunha over a potential deal.

Ineos want to sign Cunha and Liam Delap to bolster Ruben Amorim’s attacking line, and it seems they want to get both deals done extremely quickly.

Cunha is set to cost £62.5m with United prepared to trigger his release clause. However, it will not take as big of a bite out of United’s budget as most think.

Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images

Man United can pay just £12.5m for Matheus Cunha this summer

In March, Sir Jim Ratcliffe revealed that Manchester United have already paid £89m for transfers this summer due to owed fees.

That is because football clubs tend to spread the cost of transfers through amortisation.

The current amortisation rules in the Premier League state that clubs can spread the cost of a player’s transfer fee and wages over the length of their contract (a maximum of five years).

Amortisation infographic CREDIT: Adam Williams / United in Focus / GRV Media

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United are discussing personal terms with Cunha over his contract, but Ineos are prepared to pay his £62.5m release clause to get a deal over the line.

That means that instead of paying the full amount up front, United can spread that cost over five years provided Matheus Cunha’s contract runs until at least 2030.

United can even pay for Cunha in instalments with Wolves open to the idea of his £62.5m fee being paid over a longer period of time. In terms of the Profit and Sustainability Rules, that could spread the cost even further and allow Ineos to invest more this summer.

Glazers have left Ineos with terrible £300m transfer bill

Utilising the amortisation rules in the Premier League can help Ineos reduce the up-front transfer fees paid this summer, but it only pushes the problem further down the line.

United have recruited terribly under the Glazers over the past decade, and it is taking a huge toll on the club’s finances.

According to The Athletic, United’s latest accounts revealed that the club still owes over £300million in transfer payments.

READ MORE: What Ralf Rangnick said about Matheus Cunha when he signed Man Utd target in 2018

Of that figure, £168million is due within the next year. The big-money deals for the likes of Rasmus Hojlund, Andre Onana and Antony are still being paid off by United.

With United at the risk of missing out on European qualification entirely next season, Ineos are having to budget for that possibility.

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