Manchester United want to sign Bryan Mbeumo
But United are expected to need to increase their offer to persuade Brentford to sell, with west London club thought to value the Cameroon forward over £60 million.
United have bid an initial £45 million with a further £10 million in add-ons and Ruben Amorim is hoping to make Mbeumo his second signing of the summer after Matheus Cunha. The Brazil forward has been signed from Wolves for £62.5 million.
Mbeumo, 25, has a year left on his contract at the Gtech Community Shield but Brentford’s hand is strengthened in part by an option that allows them to extend his deal by a further 12 months. Nonetheless, Mbeumo is understood to be keen to move to Old Trafford after setting his sights on United despite strong interest from other clubs including Newcastle.
The Cameroonian − who scored 20 goals and claimed seven assists in the league season just gone − will hope a compromise can be struck as talks over a deal continue. Brentford manager Thomas Frank has indicated the club are willing to sell Mbeumo but only at the right price and warned last month “that’s going to be expensive”.
United’s principal focus this summer is on addressing the team’s chronic shortage of goals. There has been a concerted move to recruit players with Premier League experience but who still fit the right age profile. Their total of 44 goals from 38 Premier League goals en route to finishing in 15th position was the lowest in the competition bar the bottom three and Everton.
Mbeumo’s flexibility is known to appeal to Amorim. He has played as a right winger, striker, right sided No. 10 and right wing back in varying systems under Frank at Brentford, including the 3-4-2-1 favoured by Amorim.
United had also wanted to sign Liam Delap from Ipswich Town but the striker opted instead to join Chelsea. In an ideal world, Amorim had potentially envisaged Mbeumo and Cunha as his right and left sided No 10s with Delap upfront and Bruno Fernandes - who has rebuffed an enormous offer from Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal - possibly dropping into a deeper midfield role.
However, it remains to be seen if United get a deal over the line for Mbeumo and with Fernandes staying whether they are able to recruit a recognised centre-forward this summer or run with a flexible, interchangeable attack.
Any successful move for Mbeumo on top of Cunha’s arrival would swallow up United’s summer budget and dictate that the club need to sell before they can buy again.
United are hoping to offload four wingers - Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Antony - to raise funds to reinvest as they commit whole-heartedly to Amorim’s system. But they could also sell Denmark striker Rasmus Hojlund, who is attracting interest from Italy, and are open to offers for other players, not least the high-earning veteran Brazil midfielder Casemiro.
Delap’s age, cost − he had a £30 million release clause following Ipswich’s relegation − size, pace and skillset appealed and fit with Amorim’s style of play. But few traditional No 9s are available and fit United’s price bracket this summer.
Amorim also has Amad Diallo, Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount as attacking options and has admitted publicly the club will not be able to make all the changes needed in a single summer. The onus will be on selling - and selling well - but there are no guarantees they will be able to shift some players quickly.
Chelsea paid a £5 million penalty to back out of an obligation to buy Sancho following his loan spell with the West London club. Barcelona are keeping tabs on Rashford. Real Betis are interested in turning Antony’s loan into a permanent deal.
Garnacho was the subject of bids from Napoli and Chelsea in January but it remains to be seen where the Argentine winger may go and for what price.
His attack aside, Amorim would like reinforcements in midfield and at wing back and there has been a desire for increased competition for goalkeeper Andre Onana, who has been linked previously with a move to Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, the man overseeing United’s recruitment business this summer, Jason Wilcox, has been named as the club’s director of football as part of the reshuffle that has seen Dave Brailsford relinquish his day-to-day role with the club. Wilcox was brought in as technical director in April last year but his new title reflects his increased role and responsibilities in the wake of Dan Ashworth’s shock exit last December. Brailsford will remain on the football club board but is reducing his commitment with United to return to focusing on his wider remit as Ineos Sport’s director of sport.
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