Newcastle had identified Mbeumo as one of their leading targets for their wide-right attacking role, with the 25-year-old and his representatives being aware of the Magpies’ position.
However, Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham have also been linked with the Cameroon international in the last few days, and multiple sources have indicated that Mbeumo has expressed a preference for a move to Old Trafford.
Talks are expected to take place in the next few days, with Manchester United hoping to follow up last week’s successful pursuit of former Wolves forward Matheus Cunha with the signing of Mbeumo.
Brentford have the option of extending Mbeumo’s current deal, which is due to expire next summer, by another 12 months, but the Bees have accepted they will be unable to hold on to one of their leading assets, who they signed from Troyes in 2019.
Mbeumo scored 20 goals and claimed eight assists last season, making him one of the most desirable attacking targets in the Premier League.
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Newcastle had hoped the lure of Champions League football would help them in the battle for his signature, but financial reality appears to have trumped any footballing aspirations, with Mbeumo seemingly having chosen Manchester United despite their failure to qualify for any European competition next season.
While Manchester United cannot offer European involvement, their financial strength means they can still offer Mbeumo a wage package that is beyond Newcastle’s capabilities.
Mbeumo is reportedly earning around £45,000-a-week on his current deal at Brentford, but is set to more quadruple that figure at Old Trafford, with some reports suggesting he could be set to pocket more than £200,000-a-week as a Manchester United player. Cunha’s deal in the wake of his move from Wolves is also reported to be worth around £200,000-a-week.
Newcastle’s current highest earner is believed to be on around £150,000-a-week, with Alexander Isak, Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali all understood to be earning around that figure.
There is scope for the Magpies to increase that ceiling slightly, but raising it for a number of players would have a significant impact on their PSR balance sheet. While Eddie Howe has confirmed the club are in a “much stronger position” than in the last couple of summer windows, that does not mean they can afford to be profligate with either transfer fees or wage hikes.
With Mbeumo seemingly off the table, Newcastle are ready to move on alternative attacking targets, although the likelihood of a deal being completed before the first transfer window of the summer closes on June 10 is slight.
Paul Mitchell continues to play a prominent role in current transfer discussions, with Newcastle officials adamant the sporting director's exit at the end of this month will not adversely affect the recruitment process.
There is scope for three or four first-team signings this summer – a new goalkeeper and centre-half are also key priorities – with the potential for further funds being available if a player such as Sean Longstaff was to be sold. Removing the likes of Callum Wilson from the wage bill would also free up additional money.
However, whatever Newcastle do this summer, the continued disparity between their current annual revenue figure and the sums being raised by the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal on an annual basis means they will still be unable to compete in a head-to-head transfer battle with some of their leading rivals.