Manchester United have only made one signing so far this summer but remain in negotiations with Brentford over a potential deal for Bryan Mbeumo.
It was a terrible season for Manchester United last term and they are desperate to make significant changes this summer in order to improve.
Matheus Cunha has been signed on a five-year deal and he will bolster the underperforming attack at Old Trafford, and soon afterwards, the Reds moved onto another deal.
It was revealed on 2 June that Bryan Mbeumo would prefer a move to United over the likes of Newcastle or Tottenham. Two days later, United submitted their first bid for the Brentford star.
Their £45 million, plus £5m in add-ons, offer was rejected and they were quickly reported to be planning a second bid for the Cameroon international.
However, more than two weeks later and there has been no suggestions that this second bid has been launched, and it seems like Spurs are waiting in the wings for a potential hijack now they have appointed Thomas Frank as manager.
Berrada explains why United haven’t signed Mbeumo yet
Omar Berrada joined United as the chief executive last year and has been discussing United’s transfer activity, with a lot of praise for Cunha.
But the executive also explained why the Brazilian is the only player through the door so far, with the club taking time to negotiate deals to ensure they’re not overspending on players.
“He was an important one to get done,” Berrada said of Cunha in an interview with Andy Mitten of The Athletic.
“We’re going to do our best to do more signings quickly. Sometimes when you’re not quick, it’s because you’re negotiating and you’re trying to make sure you get the right value for money.
“So being efficient or quick isn’t necessarily the best thing for the club.”
United do not have unlimited cash this summer and are clearly trying to get the best possible deal for Mbeumo. In the case of Cunha, things were a lot easier as he had a release clause.
Important to get signings for pre-season
We all want signings to be made early. That is why people were excited when Mbeumo’s preference to join came a day after Cunha was signed.
But you can also understand the club wanting to take their time in negotiations, especially when a player has made it clear that he wants to join.
The most important thing is getting the most important signings through the door so they can play on pre-season and get to know the squad and Amorim’s tactics.
There are still two weeks until the players return to action and then another couple of weeks before they head off to the United States. A lot of time remains.
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