Rúben Amorim has been preparing for the arrival of Bryan Mbeumo in training as Manchester United hope to sign the Brentford winger this week.
Manchester United have submitted a third bid for Bryan Mbeumo, offering £65 million plus an additional £5 million in add-ons, as they aim to make him their third signing of the summer.
Following the arrivals of Matheus Cunha and Diego Leon, Rúben Amorim is keen to have the majority of his key signings in place before the Premier League season kicks off.
Although Brentford are yet to respond, reports suggest their valuation is around £70 million, and there is growing confidence within United that the latest offer will be accepted. According to reports close to the London club, Brentford are expected to agree to the deal.
Mbeumo is unlikely to feature in United’s pre-season clash with Leeds on Saturday, but if the bid is accepted, the Cameroon international is expected to join the squad in the United States by Tuesday.
How Amorim has been preparing for Mbeumo
While United’s third and hopefully final bid for Mbeumo was only submitted on Thursday afternoon, their intent to sign him has been clear since the opening days of the transfer window, well before the club returned for pre-season.
United have been very open concerning access to their pre-season training, filming and uploading multiple videos of the players in the gym and on the training ground, and one interesting aspect was noticed.
It became clear during the first few days of pre-season, which commenced last week, that Amad had been instructed to play very wide on the right flank, a position he became increasingly familiar with in the previous campaign, where he operated as a wing-back fairly often.
While Mbeumo’s arrival has not been guaranteed and will not be unless Brentford accept United’s offer, it is clear that Amorim has been preparing his squad for the arrival of Mbeumo, or another right forward if a final agreement cannot be reached.
Amad can flourish as a wing-back
Last campaign, Amorim’s wing-backs tended to hang in the middle or defensive third of the pitch, which frustrated many fans as it felt as if the club were playing with five defenders and inviting pressure on their back line.
However, against Aston Villa, on the final day of the season, both Amad and Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu, operating on the right and left flanks respectively, pushed high up. The 2-0 win was one of the side’s best performances under Amorim.
Amad was particularly impressive, scoring the opening goal with around ten minutes left to play and putting in a Man of the Match display on the right-hand side.
The Ivorian international played some “unbelievable” football on the right wing last season, both as part of the front three and as a wing-back.
With Mbeumo added on his side and Amad moving permanently to the wing-back position, the pair could strike up a deadly duo for Premier League sides in 2025/26.
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