Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has revealed what he has been told about Bryan Mbeumo as Manchester United complete the winger’s transfer.
Manchester United are on the verge of announcing their next summer signing as Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo has travelled to Carrington today to complete his medical.
The Cameroonian international will join United for £65 million with a potential extra £5 million in add-ons if certain parameters are met. United are set to pay Brentford the initial fee over four instalments.
Ruben Amorim’s priority heading into this summer transfer window was reinforcing the front line that was lacklustre in the 2024/25 campaign. This became even more pressing when it became apparent that several forwards would be leaving the club, including Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho.
Mbeumo is Premier League proven and fits the profile that United need in attack. This has led to many fans being excited about his arrival, and former United centre-back Rio Ferdinand has shared his views on why this is such a smart move.
Ferdinand sings Mbeumo’s praises
On his YouTube channel, Rio Ferdinand Presents, Ferdinand discussed the various ways in which Mbeumo suits United, citing both the statistics and the “eye-test” as backing his claims.
Last season, United registered their lowest ever Premier League points total, largely down to a lack of goals.
The frontline looked uninspired at times, and Ferdinand believes United wanted to bring in “somebody who’s dynamic, who’s quick, who’s aggressive, can play with and without the ball, right, and can get us up the pitch”, and that they have found their man in Mbeumo.
While Ferdinand is confident about the signing, he admits it might not be an immediate success. “He’ll need a transitional period into the squad, I know, but I hope the pre-season allows for that and he hits the ground running… We’re going to need him to hit the ground running”.
One of the players Mbeumo will be stepping in for is Rashford, who fell out of favour with Amorim after not showing sufficient levels of effort in training.
Ferdinand thinks this won’t be an issue with Mbeumo as he has heard positive things from his sources: “I know a couple of guys that have trained with him in the season, outside of the club, and said that his attention to detail, his work ethic, taking care of himself is of the highest order.”
Mbeumo is ideal for Amorim’s system
Amorim’s system at United has differed significantly from that of many of United’s previous managers. Amorim doesn’t employ wingers, but instead uses versatile attacking midfielders who can operate centrally and out wide.
Ferdinand believes this suits Mbeumo and is a large factor as to why he was signed, “We’ve seen him play all across the front line for Brentford and he’s been impactful in all those positions, left, right, through the central areas as a striker, and I think that’s exactly what Ruben Amorim will want”.
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While Mbeumo has mainly been spoken about in terms of replacing Garnacho and similar wide players, his ability to play upfront may also be key throughout the season. Rasmus Hojlund struggled last year, and Joshua Zirkzee played his best football in a deeper role.
Therefore, the club are looking to bring in another striker. However, Fabrizio Romano has revealed that this is dependent on outgoings, so if United can’t bring in a player of the required quality, then Mbeumo may feature in this position.
While the possibility of starting the new season without a new striker may disappoint some fans, it speaks to the brilliance of the Mbeumo deal. Not only is he a tenacious and hardworking individual, as Ferdinand explained, but he also possesses the versatility that can suit Amorim’s system and save a cash-strapped United.
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