Manchester United must “significantly increase” their offer to sign Bryan Mbeumo with “substantial interest” elsewhere in the Premier League in the Brentford winger, according to a report.
United have identified Mbeumo, 25, as a key target this summer after the club’s worst season in the Premier League era.
A record low 44 goals were scored in a dismal domestic campaign with the senior striking partnership of Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkee combining for just seven between them. No player in Ruben Amorim’s squad reached double figures in the league.
By contrast, Mbeumo enjoyed the best campaign of his career, returning 20 goals and eight assists in the league for Brentford. Only Mohammed Salah, Alexander Isak and Erling Haaland scored more.
The Cameroon international also offers a potent pairing of speed and strength – two areas Amorim has demanded United target to raise the physical floor of his squad, who he believes struggle to compete in the rigours of English football.
Mbeumo is also extremely hard-work and positionally versatile, having played as a striker, a winger, and even as a wing-back under Thomas Frank at the Gtech Community Stadium.
It’s evident, therefore, why Amorim is keen to add Mbeumo to his ranks with the 25-year-old equally keen on the switch to Old Trafford.
But United’s opening proposal – worth £55 million (£45m + £10m in add-ons) – fell “well below Brentford’s valuation” of their attacking talisman and was rejected, according to the i Paper.
The report states the Red Devils remain the “frontrunners” for Mbeumo, despite Tottenham Hotspur joining the race after selecting Frank as their replacement for Ange Postecoglou, but they “must significantly increase their offer to convince Brentford to sell.”
There is also interest in Mbeumo from Arsenal, Aston Villa, and Newcastle United but the Cameroonian has his heart set on a move to the Theatre of Dreams – a fact United had hoped would serve as a negotiating gambit in talks with Brentford.
“United hoped this would allow them to sign the 25-year-old winger for a lower fee, but Brentford remain in a strong negotiating position and will resist attempts to be lowballed. There is substantial interest in the Cameroon international, who ticks key boxes with his age profile, skillset and Premier League experience.”
But the i Paper contends Brentford are “not short of options” and will “seek to maximise” the price they command for Mbeumo.
The Bees are believed to be holding out for a fee in excess of £60 million, citing United’s successful £62.5 million pursuit of Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Matheus Cunha as a benchmark for Mbeumo’s price, given the overlap the two players share.
A report relayed The Peoples Person revealed the two clubs are drawing closer to an agreement on price, suggesting United are willing to match Brentford’s demands, before a Premier League rival gets the chance.
Feature image Michael Regan via Getty Images
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Darragh Fox
Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
