How much Manchester United will pay for Matheus Cunha this summer in huge transfer budget boost

Manchester United are closing in on their first summer signing after they reached an agreement to sign Matheus Cunha from Wolves. Ruben Amorim identified the 26-year-old as a top transfer target as he looks to add attacking flair to his side in the coming months.

Manchester World revealed on Tuesday night, United have now been granted permission to arrange a medical for the Wolves star after they agreed to meet his £62.5 million release clause. United initially proposed a payment package that would see them pay the fee in five instalments valued at £12.5 million over the course of five years.

This proposal was rejected by Wolves, who wanted higher payments over a shorter period of time. It has instead been agreed United will amortise the transfer over the next three summers, in three equal payments of roughly £20.83 million. It was a quick conclusion to the transfer talks after official club-to-club talks were only opened earlier on Tuesday, with the deal made much easier due to the fact Cunha insisted on a release clause when he signed a new Wolves deal back in January.

What it means for summer transfer budget

Manchester United will have more of their summer transfer budget left after they agreed to pay for Matheus Cunha over three separate summer transfer windows, rather than pay the lump sum in one go.

In basic terms, amortisation is the transfer fee paid divided by the length of the player's contract. It means that even though the net outgoing will be £20.83 million paid to Wolves over the next three summers, his amortised value will be recorded as five payments of £12.5 million over the next five summer windows. If Wolves had agreed to the initial proposal to pay the transfer fee over five windows, rather than three, then their annual outgoing on the transfer would have matched the amortised value.

It is understood Ruben Amorim has been handed a summer budget of just under £100m that is not dependant on player sales. United will target a striker and another attacking midfielder after they complete a deal for Cunha, with Amorim eager to add Premier League experience to his first-team squad. Liam Delap, Bryan Mbeumo and Eberechi Eze are among those of interest to the club this summer.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Amorim warned there was a limit to the amount of business his side could do in the summer window, though the fact they won't pay Cunha's release clause in full will give them more room to manoeuvre. "We always prepare two plans, one with Champions League one without Champions League. Without Champions League, we don't need a big squad, we can control the squad in a better way," Amorim said at a press conference.

"Then we have a plan that is to bring some new players, of course, but our big plan is to improve the team that we have, is to improve our academy, that is the future, is not going to change so much because we have the FFP rules, we are not allowed to do much this summer. It's important to stick together. We are going to struggle, it is not going to be everything right away but I see the team improving and that is the most important thing."

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