Manchester United have been looking at probable reinforcements in the ongoing summer transfer window, and Ruben Amorim’s side have been subject to links with a move for highly regarded Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo.
The 25-year-old has been expected to leave Brentford in the ongoing window, with the Bees holding out for a possible £70m transfer fee for his signature. And the fact that United’s Premier League rivals Tottenham are also in the run for his signature makes it very tricky given that the North Londoners have Thomas Frank in their arsenal.
But we will leave the transfer proceedings to the chiefs at Carrington, and we as fans just try to make an understanding of the possibilities of what Ruben Amorim is thinking by bringing in the French-born Cameroon international.
One of the intriguing prospects for me to bring in the Brentford ace is how he can complement Bruno Fernandes and thereby change the dynamics of the Manchester Reds’ attacking structure. So that’s exactly what I am going to do, but before that we will have to dig deeper into the profiles of both the players.
Bruno Fernandes is your advanced playmaker or inside 10 who has the ability to play through balls, make third man runs, and then . Israel is integral to the offensive sequences at M16. That being said, Bruno is still a bit undisciplined when it comes to his positioning and sometimes ends up drifting too wide or coming in too deep.
While Mbeumo is more of your right winger and inside forward who possesses two-footed finishing abilities and counter-pressing ability complemented by his hard-working and intelligent interior runs. That being said, he is not your dominant ball carrier; he relies more on combinations to progress the play.
How Mbeumo Complements Bruno Fernandes
Mbeumo would represent a strategic move for United
If we are thinking about attacking zones, then both of them have an off-the-ball synchronisation given how the Portuguese midfielder thrives in between the lines, especially when the defensive line is manipulated by forward runs. And here Mbeumo brings an inside-channel run, especially from the right, whilst stretching the backline and opening up lanes for Bruno where he can receive the ball in space and attempt those vertical through balls. This can also get Bruno to make late runs himself. If I am thinking of this type of movement, it ends up opening the golden square in the final third (between RB–CB–RCM–RW), and this is where Bruno can dominate.
Even while being predominantly a right-footed midfielder, Bruno often takes up that right-sided attacking space, and this can unlock a positional balance in a 3-4-2-1 / 3-4-2 in Amorim’s system given how Mbeumo can play either as a striker who is offering runs beyond Bruno or as a right-sided wide forward who is rotating inside when Bruno drifts wider or deeper. So this gives United a rotational flexibility which ensures that the Manchester Reds don’t often go through predictable sequences and overlaps. Here I am thinking of how Mbeumo partnered with Toney at Brentford, where they were always reacting to each other’s movement.
Will Manchester United be able to sign Bryan Mbeumo?
They can also excel in a pressing partnership, especially given how Amorim wants to put in man-orientated pressing sequences in the final third. I believe that Bruno is an underrated presser given how he leads presses from central zones, while Mbeumo has top-tier capacity as a pressing forward where he is often initiating first contact. So together they can try to either trap opposing build-up in wide areas or create transitional moments high up the pitch. But then they will need someone like Ugarte to be sweeping behind to support their press. And their defensive intensity from the front can also have a domino effect on how Amorim can create a rest-defence shape at the back that protects the high line at Old Trafford.
Now finally let’s talk link-ups. So when we are in quick transitions, Bruno is the one who is often tasked with putting in those first passes to get better press. Whilst Mbeumo is someone who excels at receiving on the half-turn and driving forward. So here he can then either take it in and slip it in to Cunha or go for goal himself or maybe just end up recycling the possession into wide overloads.
Now this ends up reducing that over-dependency on Bruno that we saw in the last campaign.
Tactical Setup – In a 3-4-2-1
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Author Opinion
Bryan Mbeumo doesn’t take on any roles from Bruno Fernandes; instead, he ends up supporting him, especially given how the 25-year-old is sort of a system forward who allows Bruno space to play disorganised without compromising on structure. So if Amorim and Manchester United are committed to supporting Bruno, then signing Mbeumo would be a good choice.