Manchester United are in the market for a new striker but their options continue to be narrowed down.
Ruben Amorim insists he is happy to start the new season with his current squad, but ideally he would like a few more arrivals this summer.
Manchester United want three more signings this window, but Ineos will have to shop around with a limited budget having already spent north of £130 million on Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano insists United are ‘confident’ about signing a striker, but it is still not yet clear who the top target is.
United have stepped up interest in Ollie Watkins, but there are also targets in Europe that might appeal to Amorim, including Dusan Vlahovic.
Man United warned about Dusan Vlahovic’s Juventus wage
Vlahovic has been tipped to join United this summer having fallen down the pecking order at Juventus.
The 25-year-old striker has been made available, and reports suggest Vlahovic could even leave for free this summer with Juventus eager to get him off the wage bill.
Via ESPN, Gab Marcotti explains that Vlahovic is earning “close to £400,000” per week at Juventus, which explains why the Italian side are desperate to find a buyer.
“When Dusan Vlahovic signed for Juventus, he signed this weird contract which had this accelerated clause in the last two years of his contract.
“It means that in the final year of his contract, he is earning close to £400,000 per week. Juventus can’t afford that so have asked him to take a pay cut.”
Vlahovic was bought by Juventus for £62m, but it seems they would accept a huge loss to sell him this summer. United have shown interest, but his wages alone make a deal near impossible.
Dusan Vlahovic doesn’t fit Ineos’ wage structure
Since the Ineos takeover, the new ownership at Old Trafford have tried to regain control of the club’s wage bill.
Failure to qualify for European football this season will already trigger a significant drop in player salaries, and Ineos have made sure to not give out crazy money to new signings.
Mbeumo is earning around £150,000 per week at United, while Cunha is earning around £200,000 per week.
Vlahovic would solve Amorim’s need for a striker, but Ineos shouldn’t break their wage structure for a striker who wasn’t even in the top three choices heading into the window.
United have been warned about Vlahovic and why he might not be a great fit for Amorim. Ultimately, it seems best if Ineos walk away from this deal.
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