According to reports, Manchester United are ‘much closer’ to landing Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo as they have set a deadline to ‘wrap up a deal’.
The Red Devils had been hoping to swiftly finalise a deal for Mbeumo, who could join Matheus Cunha in joining the Premier League giants in a transfer that would take their summer spend past £120m.
Man Utd have faced competition from rivals for Mbeumo in the race to sign Mbeumo as Thomas Frank’s Tottenham Hotspur have plotted a hijack, but the forward, who scored 20 Premier League goals in 2024/25, is said to be insisting on a move to Old Trafford.
With Mbeumo and Man Utd aligned, the Premier League giants need to agree on a fee with Brentford, but this is proving difficult.
Mbeumo retains high value as Brentford have the option to automatically extend his current deal on the same terms until 2027 and they are reportedly holding out for around £70m.
At this point, Man Utd are yet to meet this asking price and a report over the weekend claimed Brentford’s ‘enormous demand’ is threatening the deal.
READ: Manchester United must abandon Mbeumo move and end ‘vicious cycle’
It’s also been claimed that the Red Devils are considering turning to a cheaper alternative, deeming Brentford’s asking price ‘excessive’, but Fabrizio Romano insists he remains their priority.
Romano claimed: “Even on Sunday, the contacts continued between Manchester United and Brentford over Bryan Mbeumo.
“There is still no here we go, but Man Utd keep advancing. They’re going very strong and now the feeling is positive.”
Now, journalist Dean Jones for Flashscore claims Man Utd have ‘not’ been ‘deterred’ as they pursue Mbeumo and they ‘aim to have a deal wrapped up by Friday’.
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Man Utd were said to be ‘much closer’ to Brentford’s demands with their latest £62.5m offer and ‘further contact is expected on Monday’ amid ‘optimism that an agreement will be reached’.
Arsenal and Newcastle United are mentioned as potential rivals for Mbeumo, but United’s £62.5m bid marked a ‘step in the right direction’ and Brentford ‘may consider a suitable package around £65m’.
The report adds:
‘In order for talks to progress positively, clubs must find common ground over the structure of the deal. Brentford want a substantial up-front payment and improvements in the way the rest of the fee is paid – particularly in terms of instalments and performance-related bonuses.
‘Due to past high-profile failures in the transfer market, United have approached this deal with some caution. They believe this type of agreement requires patience – but at the same time, they do not want to miss out. This week has been earmarked as a potential turning point, and United remain hopeful Mbeumo can be integrated into the squad for when pre-season begins next Monday.’