Bryan Mbeumo reminded Newcastle United fans what he is capable of on Saturday during Manchester United’s win over Brighton.
The Cameroon international scored a brace in Manchester United’s 4-2 victory against the Seagulls, taking his tally to five goals and one assist in all competitions.
While it was initially a slow start to the season for the Red Devils, they finally appear to be turning the corner. As for Bryan Mbeumo, he has been largely impressive all season after choosing to join Manchester United over Newcastle United.
Mbeumo was one of Newcastle’s top targets, but he chose to move to Old Trafford. Eddie Howe had to look elsewhere, with Anthony Elanga joining Newcastle United for £55million.
Elanga is yet to hit top form for his new club, but Mbeumo is having no such problems.
Bryan Mbeumo holds his arms in the air during Manchester United's Premier League game against Brighton.
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
Gary Lineker blown away by Bryan Mbeumo after snubbing Newcastle for Manchester United
Mbeumo’s performances for Manchester United are a reminder of what he could have brought to Tyneside, at a time when the player who Newcastle bought instead is struggling to live up to the hype.
As Elanga continues his adaptation to life in black and white, Mbeumo has hit the ground running in red.
He has impressed Gary Lineker, who spoke incredibly highly of Mbeumo during the latest episode of The Rest Is Football podcast.
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“He’s really good Mbeumo,” he said.
“I suppose the question mark against someone that’s done consistently well at a club like Brentford, with all due respect, is to then jump to one of the one of the giants in world football and be able to handle it and he clearly can.
“It’s not fazed him in the slightest.”
Why Newcastle United backed away from Bryan Mbeumo deal
The key reason why Newcastle United did not go all out for Mbeumo was financial.
Geordie Boot Boys understand that Newcastle thought Mbeumo was too expensive, with the 26-year-old eventually costing Manchester United £71million. That would have made him Newcastle’s most expensive signing ever, eclipsing the £69million deal for Nick Woltemade.
Another issue was the winger’s wage demands. It was reported that Mbeumo wanted to be Newcastle’s highest earner, eclipsing the £160,000-a-week that Bruno Guimaraes earns.
Unlike Newcastle, Man United agreed to match Mbeumo and Brentford’s financial demands. They will argue that it has been money well spent given his start to life at Old Trafford.
All the while, the Magpies are yet to get much of a return from the £55million they invested in Elanga. However, there will be no panicking on Tyneside. Not every signing has an immediate impact at St James’ Park, but Elanga’s time will almost certainly come.