Newcastle have made a major decision regarding Bryan Mbeumo which has left Manchester United as the frontrunners for his signature this summer.
Manchester United have confirmed the signing of Matheus Cunha, but the club has no plans to stop there in their search for attacking reinforcements this summer.
After a disappointing Premier League campaign, missing out on Champions League qualification, and a Europa League final defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, United are determined to add more proven goalscorers to the squad.
With Alejandro Garnacho, Antony, Jadon Sancho, and Marcus Rashford all expected to leave, Ruben Amorim is targeting a striker and another attacking midfielder to further bolster the front line.
However, with Liam Delap now set to join Chelsea, United have turned their attention to another Premier League-proven forward, though they are not without competition for his signature.
United left as frontrunners for Mbeumo
United’s interest in Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo is well-known at this point, with the Reds eager to bring in guaranteed goals to their underperforming side.
Mbeumo scored 20 goals in the Premier League last season – only bettered by three players – but that form has also meant that other clubs are interested in him.
Arsenal and Newcastle are credited with interest in the 25-year-old and can both offer him a place in the Champions League next term, while United are without any European football.
However, a fresh report from TeamTalk has suggested that United are leading the way for his signature this summer as Newcastle have doubts over paying £60 million for him.
The outlet claimed that the Geordies feel that price tag is ‘on the steep side’ and there are doubts about whether they will even make an offer for Mbeumo unless there is an indication that Brentford will lower their valuation.
Meanwhile, they state that United are not ruling out offering £60 million for the Brentford star although they would need to sanction at least one big-name sale, with Alejandro Garnacho likely to depart this summer. It has also been reported that the player is willing to join a ‘project’ and is not determining his move on Champions League football.
That is why Amorim’s side are considered the frontrunners for Mbeumo although the priority seems to be to start raising funds with player sales.
United’s striker situation may change if Mbeumo joins
Should the Reds actually complete a deal for Mbeumo, they would have spent around £120 million on both him and Cunha.
They would immediately upgrade those two positions behind the striker but they still need to add another no.9 and it is extremely unlikely to be a big-name like Victor Osimhen or Viktor Gyökeres due to their price.
United still want to add a deeper midfield player and potentially a centre-back alongside the striker. It may end up being another low-cost addition upfront. Some may even suggest a loan could be smart.
As long as there is a level of experience brought into the position, United should be fine, especially because they are bringing top quality no.10s into the club.
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