Sir Jim Ratcliffe now knows how much Man United’s £62m striker target earns, and he may back off

After slipping down the ranks at Juventus, Dusan Vlahovic has emerged as a potential option for Manchester United this summer. At 25, the striker is reportedly up for grabs – and with the club eager to cut costs, some sources claim he could even be let go for free.

However, Gab Marcotti, speaking via ESPN, noted that Vlahovic is earning “close to £400,000” per week at Juventus, which helps explain why the club is eager to move him on.

“When Dusan Vlahovic signed for Juventus, he signed this weird contract which had this accelerated clause in the last two years of his contract,” Marcotti said.

“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 joined Juventus in a deal worth £62m, but reports suggest they’d be willing to take a significant loss just to get him off their books. United have shown some interest, though his wage demands make any move difficult to justify financially.

Vlahovic’s salary demands far too high for Ineos

One of the first things Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos did after arriving at Old Trafford was to bring the club’s wages back under control.

United have already taken steps to reduce salaries, a move partly driven by missing out on European football. The club have also been careful not to offer big money to new signings since then.

Mbeumo is reportedly earning around £150,000 per week, while Cunha is on about £200,000 per week.

Vlahovic could fill Amorim’s need for a striker, but it doesn’t make sense for Ineos to break their pay structure for a player who wasn’t even among their top three targets when the window opened.