Brentford are willing to play hardball over their valuation of Bryan Mbeumo after the 25-year-old forward signalled his preference to join Manchester United this summer, according to a report.
As explained by The Peoples Person here, United have emerged as the frontrunners to sign Mbeumo, ahead of Premier League rivals Arsenal, Newcastle United, and Tottenham Hotspur.
The Cameroonian international has “decided he wants to join” the Red Devils with Old Trafford officials “set to open talks” with Brentford over a deal, according to David Ornstein (The Athletic).
Mbeumo has established himself as one of the Premier League’s most effective forwards this season, scoring 20 goals and providing eight assists for the Bees in the best campaign of his career.
In addition to his goal-scoring prowess, he also retains a strong work-ethic off the ball and outstanding physical attributes, as well as the positional versatility to play on the wing, up front, or even as a wing-back.
It’s evident, therefore, why United have landed on Mbeumo as a key target this summer with Ruben Amorim demanding reinforcements in the forward line along with players who will raise the physical floor of his squad.
A deal has already been struck to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers’ attacker Matheus Cunha with the Reds triggering the Brazilian’s £62.5 million release clause at Molineux after an agreement was reached on personal terms.
The 26-year-old forward scored 15 goals and provided six assists for the Midlands side as he won the club’s Player of the Season award, despite Wolves flirting with relegation for most of the year.
The prospect of Cunha and Mbeumo, responsible for a combined total of 49 goals this season (United scored 44 collectively, by comparison), would be a dramatic improvement for Amorim’s attack and provide the Portuguese coach with two Premier League-proven goal-scorers with excellent physicality.
However, the fee United agreed to pay for Cunha could now be set to haunt them as Brentford are demanding a comparable figure for Mbeumo. The Bees believe their talismanic forward is a “more proven Premier League performer than Brazil international Cunha, so a fee similar to the one paid to Wolves is seen as realistic,” according to the i Paper.
Previous reports had suggested Brentford would be willing to sell Mbeumo for around £50 million but the i Paper contends United will need to “match the £62.5m they have spent on Matheus Cunha if they are to strike a swift deal”.
Executives at the Gtech Community Stadium are described as “relaxed” over the situation. Mbeumo’s current contract has twelve months remaining on it but Brentford can trigger an automatic one-year extension, giving them flexibility in negotiations.
As such, the West London club are content to play hardball with United and, if their valuation is not met, a deal could “drag on all summer,” a source revealed to the i Paper.
“Brentford’s stance potentially leaves the door ajar for the other clubs that have Mbeumo on their radar, including Spurs, Newcastle and Arsenal,” the report concludes.
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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.
