Man Utd want to sign Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford this summer but two bids have been rejected for the forward.
Brentford's sporting director spoke about Mbeumo.(Image: Sky Sports)
Brentford's sporting director has warned Manchester United target Bryan Mbeumo could stay in London.
United submitted an improved bid in excess of £60million for Mbeumo, but that has fallen short of Brentford's valuation and talks are continuing between the two clubs to find a compromise.
Arsenal, Tottenham and Newcastle have been linked with a deal for Mbeumo this summer, but the player wants a move to Old Trafford and has revealed his preference to Brentford.
Nonetheless, Brentford have the option of extending Mbeumo's contract by another year, meaning the player essentially has two years remaining on his deal at the Gtech Community Stadium.
The Bees have built a reputation as a selling club in the Premier League, but they have hung tough in negotiations with United and an improved bid will be required to land the 25-year-old.
Brentford's sporting director, Phil Giles, sat down with Sky Sports to discuss Mbeumo's future and warned that he could stay in London, provided an appropriate offer is not received.
"There's significant interest in Bryan. I think it's been documented and publicised about, you know, his current preference," said Giles.
"From what I understand, if needs be, he's happy to stay at Brentford next year as well, so listen, let's see on that. I think our position is he had an unbelievable season last year and we expected interest in him. If that deal is right, then there's a deal to do, but if not, then he'll stay."
Giles was asked about conversations regarding Mbeumo staying at Brentford and responded: "We've spoken to Bryan and his representatives. It's not a given that he is going to depart this summer.
"There is interest. He had a great season last season, so the interest is inevitable. If we get the right offer, there is potentially a deal to be done, but there's only so much we can say on that."
United completed the £62.5m signing of Matheus Cunha from Wolves as their first deal of the summer transfer window and Mbeumo would further strengthen Ruben Amorim's attacking options.
Mbeumo contributed 20 goals and eight assists in the Premier League last season, predominantly playing on the right wing but also making a handful of appearances down the middle.
Here at the Manchester Evening News, we're dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don't miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.
And finally, if you'd rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast, featuring The Samuel Luckhurst Show and The Midweek Debate. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.