Bryan Mbeumo
Bryan Mbeumo will be hoping to have the best support at Manchester United
Manchester United are no longer the clinical, threatening attacking team that once took the Premier League by storm. It's not a stretch to say that the forward line that ended the 2024/25 season won't be first-choice under Ruben Amorim this season.
Matheus Cunha has already signed to bolster United's attack, but the Brazilian isn't enough. A new centre-forward is as much of a priority as ever after Rasmus Hojlund's poor campaign, but nearly every club in Europe is fighting for a prolific goalscorer.
United are putting all their eggs into Bryan Mbeumo, and after receiving the green light from the Cameroon international, the move has stalled. Tottenham's registered interest with Thomas Frank orchestrating their transfer business means the deal hasn't moved in the last week.
There is still optimism that Mbeumo will leave Brentford and move to Old Trafford. Alongside Cunha, United are expected to head into the new campaign with an impressive attacking arsenal that includes Amad, Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount when fit.
However, United have been here before. Signing players with impressive records - Mbeumo scored 20 Premier League goals last term - for big fees and 12-15 months later, realising they either overpaid or the deal wasn't a smart piece of business. With the Brentford star, the early indications are that won't be the case, but the club can do their best to ensure that.
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First of all, secure the services of a goal-scoring striker that gives defenders nightmares. Viktor Gyokeres and Victor Osimhen both score goals for fun, and their ball-playing skills would be perfect for Mbeumo to run off and create opportunities himself.
The quality around Mbeumo has to be better than what United fans were used to watching last season. Different wildcard options offer Amorim the ability to be flexible, such as playing Amad as an attacking wing-back - a role he excelled in last term.
There's also little faith in Mount being Mr.Reliable this season after 46 games in two seasons. So what are the other options? In a world where transfer deals often spark a domino effect elsewhere, Mohammed Kudus could be the answer.
Mohammed Kudus is a tricky attacking playmaker Man United could do with (Image: Getty Images)
Kudus is attracting interest from Premier League clubs including United and Chelsea. The playmaker, better as a No.10, is said to be open to leaving the London Stadium this summer and has an £85m release clause in his contract, which is valid to Premier League clubs for the first 10 days of next month.
Now United certainly aren't desperate for another attacking playmaker. But adding another option in that position gives Mbeumo three (Cunha, Kudus and Fernandes) perfect partners in his position.
Jadon Sancho would have been the ideal candidate to offer to West Ham, but the Manchester Evening News understands that the winger is prepared to settle for a move to Italy, with Napoli and Juventus linked. Alejandro Garnacho, a player who wants to stay in the Premier League, could also be a feasible option, but United want a fee of £70m for the winger, something the Hammers are almost certain not to pay.
In spite of all that, this is where Chelsea come in. Enzo Maresca's men are in the market for a new winger after deciding against buying Sancho, and Garnacho has been strongly linked with moving to Stamford Bridge.
Negotiating a deal with the Blues which sees Garnacho move to Stamford Bridge would leave the door wide open for Kudus to move to United. A strong striker with the likes of Cunha, Mbeumo, Fernandes and Kudus all competing for a spot in the two No.10 positions is enough to take United from 15th to potential Champions League candidates.
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