One Manchester United star may be given an Old Trafford lifeline due to the arrival of Matheus Cunha and potential arrival of Bryan Mbeumo.
Manchester United have been given the go-ahead to open talks with Brentford over a potential deal for Bryan Mbeumo, after the player made it clear he favours a move to Old Trafford ahead of rival interest from Newcastle and Arsenal.
Following a disappointing campaign, it became clear that United needed reinforcements in attack—and they’ve wasted no time in the transfer market.
On the opening day of the window, the club confirmed the signing of Matheus Cunha on a five-year deal, with the Brazilian forward expected to operate on the left side of Ruben Amorim’s attacking setup.
But United are not stopping there. They remain keen to add further firepower, and Mbeumo has quickly emerged as a leading target.
The Brentford forward enjoyed a standout season in the Premier League, netting 20 goals, and manager Thomas Frank has indicated the club would be open to selling at the right price. With Mbeumo now signalling his intention to join United, formal negotiations are set to get underway.
Højlund may be given United lifeline
The reason why so many United fans are delighted by these additions is due to the underperformance of the existing attackers at the club, particularly Rasmus Højlund.
After a solid first season at Old Trafford, the Danish international went backwards last term and his performances were extremely concerning across the campaign, and even during the post-season tour in Asia.
While an exit feels like the best solution for all parties, with Italian clubs interested in him, Højlund is unlikely to attract a large enough fee for United to accept a permanent transfer for him.
Bringing in Mbeumo and Cunha brings guaranteed goals and quality in those no.10 positions but it will also make it less likely that United sign a huge name striker unless the sell extremely well. Still, a centre-forward will be signed but they might be such a guaranteed hit.
Despite his poor performances, Højlund may end up staying at Old Trafford with a view that he can be a squad player with less reliance. United should not simply continue to loan out all of their underperformers.
Can Højlund actually revive his United career?
If Højlund does stay at the club, many will feel like it is just kicking a can down the road and that he will inevitably leave in another transfer window soon.
But can the striker actually turn things around? Well, Harry Maguire was abused and received tons of criticism when he rejected an offer to leave the club for West Ham in the summer of 2023.
Since then, the defender has become a popular figure amongst the fanbase. You can never really write someone off completely in football although it is an extremely tough task for Højlund.
In many games over the last six months, the striker has looked like he belongs no where near the level. His confidence looks shot to bits and playing constantly only made it worse. Perhaps, if he finally ends up getting that squad role, he might have a turnaround and become a player who can be of use to Amorim.
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