One of Bryan Mbeumo’s former coaches has spoken about the key qualities that he will bring to the side, as Ruben Amorim looks to revolutionise his forward line
Manchester United remain in talks over what could be their third signing of the summer, following the arrivals of Matheus Cunha and Diego Leon, with a deal for Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo looking more like a ‘when’ than an ‘if’.
Manager Ruben Amorim is keen to further bolster his attack after securing Cunha, though negotiations with Brentford have progressed slowly.
Despite the setbacks, confidence is growing that a deal will eventually be struck. Once Mbeumo’s move is finalised, United are expected to shift focus to outgoings, while continuing their search for both a striker and a midfielder ahead of the Premier League’s mid-August start.
The Cameroonian scored 20 goals and assisted seven in the Premier League last season, and would add some much-needed firepower to a side that scored only 44 goals in the league last season.
What Mbeumo will bring to United
Mbeumo’s former coach at Troyes, Rui Almeida, spoke to the Manchester Evening News and mentioned the key elements that he will bring to United.
“In my opinion, he had two or three things to stand out – his physical capacities, but also he thought really fast – before the ball arrived to him, he already had two options in his mind.
“From a young age, we told him that each training had to be like a final, and he caught that and got that for his life. He trained like every session was really important. That, maybe, separated him and took him to another level from other talents that we had at his age.
“One thing that you always need, and I see Bryan doing at Brentford, is that he is a team player. He’s very good individually, but he works a lot for the team, he runs a lot for the team, and defends a lot for the team, so I think he is a player that Ruben likes a lot.”
Mbeumo should be a United player before pre-season
Negotiations are still ongoing between Manchester United and Brentford as they work to finalise the next steps of the deal. According to the same source, Brentford are reportedly holding out for a fee of around £65 million, a figure United are close to meeting.
The key hurdle remains the payment structure, with Brentford pushing for most of the fee to be paid upfront, a point still under discussion.
Mbeumo is eager to make the move and has already agreed on personal terms in principle. United are aiming to complete the transfer in time for him to join their preseason tour of the United States later this month.
After the signing is completed, it is hoped that they can fully shift their focus to selling their want-away players, that Amorim has publicly stated aren’t in his plans going forward.
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