Bryan Mbeumo has given his approval on Manchester United’s pursuit of a “complete striker” for Rúben Amorim this summer.
Manchester United have shifted their attention to securing a new centre-forward as Rúben Amorim looks to further bolster his attacking options ahead of the new season.
Bruno Fernandes was United’s top scorer last term with 19 goals, while only three other players managed to reach double figures in all competitions.
To address their lack of firepower, the club have invested £127.5 million in the signings of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, who registered 15 and 20 Premier League goals respectively last season.
With both wingers now integrated into the squad and training with their new teammates in the United States, Amorim’s focus has turned to finding a striker to lead the line.
United’s two-man striker shortlist explained
According to fresh reports from The Athletic, United’s hierarchy have now narrowed their striker search to two players: Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Šeško.
The two forwards are quite contrasting. Watkins, 29, is an experienced Premier League centre-forward, while Šeško, 22, is an elite-level talent still learning his trade.
As explained by The Athletic, Šeško’s signing may be a more expensive one at between £70-80 million. Still, it could be a much more straightforward process for United, as Villa have privately indicated that they may make negotiations difficult for Watkins.
Villa are said to want to keep Watkins, and would only entertain offers of around £60 million, while United have made it clear that they would be willing to negotiate at around £40-45 million.
They had also been targeting Nicolas Jaickson, but with Chelsea reportedly viewing their Senegal international at £80 million, Amorim’s side have now backed away from any potential deal.
Mbeumo green-lights Watkins transfer
With Mbeumo having undergone his first week of training at United, he is starting to get a good feel with his teammates and understanding the role he will be playing under Amorim.
As a winger, the 25-year-old knows how important having a good connection with his striker partner is, with Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa forming a deadly duo at Brentford last campaign.
Speaking with United icon Rio Ferdinand, Mbeumo has now revealed that he feels Watkins is the type of “complete striker” that complements his style of football well.
“He’s a complete striker,” Mbeumo said when asked about Watkins. “He can do a lot of things.
“He can drop in or make runs in behind. It’s really good for me or for a winger because we can use his space to fit in there. He can combine as well, so yeah, really good.”
Before Watkins moved to Aston Villa in 2020, he played well alongside Mbeumo at Brentford, with the trio forming an iconic Championship attacking line alongside Saïd Benrahma. The trio was dubbed the “BMW” partnership during the 2019/20 Championship campaign.
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