Matthijs de Ligt has hinted at an extremely promising sign in Bryan Mbeumo following an admission from Ruben Amorim about his new signing during pre-season.
Despite losing their opening Premier League fixture to Arsenal, there were plenty of positives for Manchester United to take from the defeat.
Having signed a new attacking line to remedy the disappointing 44 goals that the club scored last season, they showed encouraging attacking signs despite failing to hit the back of the net.
Both Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha were lively throughout the game, with the two forcing Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya into action multiple times.
Despite non-stop pressure from United’s attack, bringing on new striker Benjamin Šeško in the 65th minute, Arsenal managed to secure three points.
United fans will feel hard done by when Cunha was quite clearly fouled in the box by William Saliba, but their appeals were waved away.
More to come from Mbeumo
Mbeumo played a limited number of minutes during United’s Premier League Summer Series owing to not being fully up to speed at the time, with Amorim saying after their final pre-season game that both Mbeumo and Cunha were 50 to 60 percent of what they can do.
Now, speaking to to club media, Matthijs de Ligt opened up on his first impressions of the Cameroonian, and spoke on how the winger will only get better as the season goes on.
“He’s a really nice guy, really humble,” the Dutchman explained. “It’s really nice speaking to him. I really like him as a person. His finishing, his speed, his strength: he’s a really good player, and obviously he already showed it in the Premier League, so I think he can be a really good player for us, and he can help us a lot.
“I think he’s not even fit yet, he knows he has to work hard, because obviously he’s been short of pre-season because he didn’t train at Brentford.
“I think he’s already shown so much quality, but when he becomes even more fit, you’ll see the real potential coming out. I can’t wait to see that, because it will help us as a team massively.”
Good early signs from United’s new signings
There are arguments to be made that both Mbeumo and Cunha were in the top ten, if not five, Premier League players from last season, and both impressed in their competitive debuts for their new club.
Mbeumo is still clearly not fully up to speed, owing to his lack of pre-season, and is struggling to get shots away in the box. However, his on-the-ball ability remains top-notch.
When it comes to Cunha, the Brazilian brings excitement to the side, something United have lacked in recent seasons. It is almost impossible to predict what Cunha will do next, thanks to his quick feet and distinctive style of play, which give him a unique set of skills.
Cunha will bring imagination and quality to break down defences, and will provide another option to a side that looked a bit one-dimensional at times last season.
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