Manchester United fell by the wayside last season, but the early readings from the summer transfer market suggest Ruben Amorim and INEOS are doing all they can to lift Old Trafford back to its feet.
With sights set on driving their way back into the Premier League ascendancy next year, getting their foot back through the European door, the Red Devils acted swiftly to activate Wolverhampton Wanderers star Matheus Cunha’s £62.5m release clause, and that’s despite interest from Arsenal, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur.
The prestigious outfit needs new goalscoring superstars, and Cunha will certainly add to that department. However, United are also pushing to sign another who could become their new talisman.
And all this before they even sign a striker.
Man Utd still leading race for Premier League star
It’s safe to say that the ongoing transfer window has all been about attacking additions for United. After a move for Cunha was completed, Jason Wilcox and Co have turned their attention to the likes of Victor Osimhen and Viktor Gyokeres, according to reports.
However, while Gyokeres would allegedly favour a move to Arsenal instead of Old Trafford, that’s not the same story for another of football’s brightest forward players.
As per TEAMtalk, Tottenham Hotspur have opened talks with Bournemouth for the transfer of Antoine Semenyo. Why is this relevant? Well, because Spurs also have a vested interest in Bryan Mbeumo having appointed the winger’s former boss, Thomas Frank, as their new manager.
Mbeumo, 25, has been immense for Brentford and is a wanted man. With Frank heading to Spurs, there were fears that he may not sign for United now, but as with Cunha, his preference is still to move to the Theatre of Dreams.
United have already seen an opening offer worth £55m rejected, and are expected to go back in for the Cameroonian with Fabrizio Romano revealing that there is an ‘agreement with the player in place’ on personal terms.
Why Bryan Mbeumo could be Man Utd's answer to Salah
Mbeumo did rather well across the recently finished campaign, only outscored in the Premier League by Mohamed Salah, Alexander Isak and Erling Haaland – not bad competition to be pitted against.
1.
Mohamed Salah
38
29
2.
Alexander Isak
34
23
3.
Erling Haaland
31
22
4.
Chris Wood
36
20
5.
Bryan Mbeumo
38
20
It certainly makes a convincing comment on Mbeumo’s skillset, not least because he, like Liverpool’s Salah, is a right-sided, left-footed forward, not technically a striker.
In fact, Mbeumo has been described as a “mini Salah” by talkSPORT pundit Jason Cundy, arcing inward to curl powerful strikes into the back of the net.
Anfield’s Egyptian King has so often been a thorn in United’s side, but in Mbeumo they might just find their own version, one whose prowess could inflict damage not just on Liverpool but the division at large, having ranked among the top 2% of positional peers in the English top flight in 2024/25 for goals scored per 90, as per FBref.
Moreover, Mbeumo isn’t just a sharpshooter, and would instead dynamise the Red Devils and raise their creative bar through his skilled performances, having created 17 big chances last season, averaging 1.8 key passes per game, as per Sofascore.
Playmaking has increasingly become a defining part of the 33-year-old Salah’s game as his athleticism drips away, and so it’s good to know that Mbeumo already plays with a natural focus on linking play together and helping his team in that regard.
Mbeumo has performed with gamely courage and a confidence in his high-level quality. He’s only 25, which, coincidentally, was the age Salah was when he joined Liverpool from Roma for £34m in 2017.
It’s clear that Man United need to forge ahead with this exciting signing. Mbeumo wants the move and has the English experience to lift the club and propel Amorim toward greener pastures.
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