Matheus cunha transfer blow shows man u historic difficulty newcastle still face

Matheus Cunha's proposed transfer switch this summer has attracted a lot of attention from a number of Premier League clubs, Newcastle United included. The Magpies are looking to add

extra quality into their squad this summer in a bid to take the next step in their bid for more glory and more silverware. The Carabao Cup triumph ended 70 years of domestic hurt for the

club, but as the owners and board have long extolled, they want this to just be the start, not the culmination, of the journey. Bringing in players now who can improve what is already a

strong starting Xi is the tricky part for Newcastle. The better they become, the higher they go, the smaller the pool of players who can enhance the setup becomes. Cunha has been identified

as one of those players. The Brazilian forward has been a revelation this season for Wolves, dragging them away from the relegation zone with goals and assists. And with a £62.5million

release clause that can be activated, he is an extraordinarily attractive proposition. Newcastle hoped that they could tempt the player with guaranteed European football, a good salary and

the chance to play alongside fellow Brazilians Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton. Their interest in the attacker was very real. Manchester United, however, appear to have won the race for Cunha.

It soon became apparent to Newcastle that they would miss out on the versatile forward, with the Old Trafford outfit able to offer him better wages, a salary Newcastle weren't prepared

to break their structure to match. It is a dilemma they will continue to face when competing against the so-called 'big six' for players. This is the pool Newcastle are fishing in

now and there are a number of sharks circling who are bigger and stronger. United's PSR issues may have been alleviated, and they may on paper have the richest owners in the world, but

they are nowhere near being in a position to offer the sort of wages being doled out elsewhere. Marcus Rashford, Jack Grealish, Kevin De Bruyne, Erling Haaland, Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes

and Mo Salah are all on more than £300,000 a week. Some are on significantly more than that. A level just below them brings in your Declan Rices, Harry Maguires, Mason Mounts and Reece

James' of the world. Newcastle just aren't in that ballpark yet. Bruno Guimaraes on approximately £160,000 is the top earner, though Alexander Isak will likely smash that if he

pens a new contract later this year. Newcastle hope to one day be able to match the offers other clubs can make. They are growing their commercial income with a 90% increase announced in

March when the latest accounts were released. They revealed a club record £320m revenue. Fantastic progress but still dwarfed by their competitors. Liverpool' generated £614m in the

same period, which enabled the Reds to spend £386m on wages. Newcastle's wage bill has risen but the £218.7m the Magpies splashed on salaries last season still pales in comparison to

the established order. Manchester City spent a whopping £412.6m on wages on the way to winning the title last season. The more money spent on wages largely equates to where you finish in the

league table. Newcastle are going to have to be smart to buck the trend and that will come down to clever recruitment. United may want to go toe to toe with the Premier League

'cartel' but when the big boys splash the cash, they will always be outbid. Man Utd have had a shocker of a season, regardless of whether they win the Europa League on Wednesday

night. 17th in the Premier League and in a mess, yet Cunha is still drawn to them because of their name and the money on offer. It is a historic situation that Newcastle are continually

battling against but ultimately, they want players to play for them for the right reasons - not just the impact it has on their bank balance.