Bryan Mbeumo’s transfer to Manchester United was not one without its difficulties, with the entire deal taking 44 days to materialise.
Manchester United have unveiled Bryan Mbeumo as their third signing of the summer, as Rúben Amorim continues to reshape the club’s attacking line.
Mbeumo made his intention to join United clear early in the window, but it took six weeks of negotiations with Brentford before the two clubs reached an agreement. The final deal is worth £65 million guaranteed, with an extra £6 million in add-ons.
The 25-year-old follows the arrivals of Matheus Cunha and Diego Leon, becoming the latest addition at Carrington.
He is expected to take up the role of first-choice right forward, while Amad is set to begin the new season operating as a wing-back, using pre-season to build chemistry with the squad.
Why Mbeumo’s deal fell silent for three weeks
The story of United’s pursuit of Mbeumo is a drawn-out one. United initially submitted a package worth £55 million, which was rejected. This was then followed by a £62.5 million package, which was also rejected.
Although a deal was finally agreed upon, a period of significant uncertainty left fans anxious that the transfer would not be completed.
According to The Athletic, this was deliberate on United’s part. Following the club’s second bid and Brentford’s sporting director issuing a statement claiming the player was open to staying, United chose to back off from the talks.
The sense was that, after Brentford issued some fairly pricy demands, this would force them to come back to the table themselves, lowering their bargaining position.
The Athletic details that, eventually, Brentford chose to compromise on the final terms, but not before they sent an official final valuation of £70 million plus £7 million in add-ons to Old Trafford.
United have struck a contextually good deal for Mbeumo
Mbeumo had just one year remaining on his Brentford contract, though the club held an option to extend it by a further 12 months, effectively giving him two years left on his deal.
With recent Premier League transfers setting the tone for this move, the terms United have secured look strong when compared to deals like Anthony Elanga’s £55 million switch to Newcastle or Mohammed Kudus’ £50 million move to Tottenham. Amorim’s side have done well here.
Mbeumo stands out as a clear level above most other signings this summer, with only Cunha coming close after the Cameroon international’s 20-goal Premier League campaign.
Though United paid £10–15 million more than some of the other options available, the step up in quality and the certainty of Mbeumo’s impact make it well worth the extra investment.
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