Face-to-facetalkssignalintentforsummerrebuild
ManchesterUnited’sexecutiveshavemoveddecisivelyintheirearlytransferplanning,holdingface-to-facetalkswithLiamDelapandadvancingdiscussionsforWolvesforwardMatheusCunha.TheAthleticreportsthatUnitedareaimingtostrikewhilethemarketremainsrelativelystable,withbothtargetsseenascomplementaryadditionstoasquadthathasstruggledforconsistencyinattack.
Photo: IMAGO
Delap,22,isattractingattentionafteraneye-catchingPremierLeaguedebutseasonwithIpswichTown,wherehenetted12goals.His £30millionreleaseclause,activatedbyIpswich’srelegation,presentsarelativelylow-riskoptioninamarketwherevaluationsarespiralling.Chelsearemaininterested,butDelaphasalreadyvisitedUnited’sfacilitiesand “wasgivenpermissionbyIpswichTowntotraveltoManchestertogetafirsthandsenseofwhatatransfertoOldTraffordwouldentail.”
Cunhadealprogressingwithpaymentstructuretobeconfirmed
WhileDelapisseenasaprospectwithpotential,MatheusCunharepresentstheimmediateinjectionofexperience thatUnitedcrave.The25-year-oldhasemergedasakeytarget,withtalksreportedlyprogressingwellonpersonalterms.AsTheAthleticnotes, “UnitedarealsoprogressingnegotiationsonCunha,25,andthereishopeadealcanbestruckforwhenthetransferwindowopensonJune1.”
Photo: IMAGO
AlthoughUnitedareyettoformalisepaymenttermswithWolves,theexpectationisthattheclubwillproceedwiththe £62.5millionreleaseclause,likelythroughastructuredpaymentplan. “TheagreementbuiltintoCunha’scontractoutlinesthatthefeeistobepaidinthreeinstalments,”andWolvesareunderstoodtobeflexibleregardingtiming.
FinancialflexibilityindependentofEuropaLeagueoutcome
WhatisparticularlynotableisUnited’sinsistencethattheirabilitytofinancedealsforDelapandCunhaisnotcontingentonWednesday’sEuropaLeaguefinalresultagainstTottenham.QualificationfortheChampionsLeaguewouldobviouslyboosttheirsummerleverage,butUnitedareproceedingasiftheirplansareindependentofthatoutcome.
Otherforwardoptionshavebeendiscussedinternally,withBryanMbeumo,ViktorGyökeres,andVictorOsimhenallmentioned.However,DelapandCunhaappeartobetheclub’sprioritytargetsheadingintoJune.
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Let’sbehonest.Onpaper,thislookslikeasolidstarttothetransferwindow.Butformany supporters,theredflagsarestillflapping.Howmanytimeshavetheyseen “talksprogressing”or “dealclose”onlyforittofizzleoutorresultinanoverpaidpanicbuy?LiamDelapmighthavepotential,but12goalsinarelegatedteam?IsthatreallythecalibreUnitedneedifthey’reaimingtorebuildproperly?
Thenthere’sCunha.Adecentforward,sure,but £62.5millionforsomeonewhoisn’texactlyprolific?AndwithWolvesopentoinstalments,youwonderifthisismoreaboutconvenientfinancingthanfootballingambition.Itfeelslikemoreofthesame —chasingmid-tieroptionswhentop-levelreinforcementsarewhat’sneeded.
WekeepbeingtoldaboutfinancialindependencefromtheEuropaLeaguefinal,butif UnitedmissoutontheChampionsLeagueagain,whatmessagedoesthatsendtoanytop-tiertalent?Andwhyaretheystillnegotiatingpaymenttermswithaclubtheyshouldhavealreadyapproachedifthisdealwasapriority?