Manchester United have just kicked off their pre-season training this week, with players returning to Carrington as Ruben Amorim begins laying the groundwork for the upcoming campaign.
But while the manager continues to fine-tune his system, recruitment behind the scenes remains just as active.
United have already brought in young defender Diego Leon and are still in talks for Bryan Mbeumo, yet the biggest name to arrive at Carrington so far is Brazil international Matheus Cunha.
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The 26-year-old striker joins from Wolves in a deal reportedly worth £62.5 million — but the full story behind the numbers has now been revealed.
Cunha’s move to Old Trafford was wrapped up early in the transfer window after weeks of speculation, with United believed to have triggered his £62.5 million release clause.
However, according to Wolves correspondent Liam Keen via the E&S Wolves Podcast, the final fee paid by United for Matheus Cunha was slightly higher.
“It’s important to remember – I don’t think this is public, so this will hopefully be a bit of new information – United actually paid roughly around £66 million,” Keen said on the E&S podcast.
“They paid off all the money that was owed to Cunha’s previous clubs as well.
“Which means that Wolves didn’t get less than £62.5 million.
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“They got £62.5 million net.”
The additional £3.5 million is set to be distributed among Cunha’s former clubs, which include Atletico Madrid, Hertha Berlin, RB Leipzig, FC Sion and Coritiba, the Brazilian side where he began his career.
It remains unclear exactly which of these clubs had sell-on clauses, but it’s now confirmed that Wolves will not see any of the surplus on top of the release clause.
Some fans argue Wolves may have undersold the striker, especially when comparing market values of current attackers.
But others point to the player’s reported desire to leave and Wolves’ willingness to move quickly as contributing factors behind the sale.
Ultimately, it’s Manchester United who will benefit most from the deal — Amorim has a versatile forward who fits his system, and the player finally gets his shot at the biggest stage.
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