Manchester United have been very firm in their negotiations with Brentford for Bryan Mbeumo in the last two weeks.
Manchester United are on the brink of securing their second signing of the summer, having already confirmed Matheus Cunha’s arrival from Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier this month.
The 26-year-old Brazilian forward is expected to complete his £62.5 million transfer after returning from international duty, with a five-year contract ready to be signed.
Rúben Amorim continues to prioritise strengthening the attack, with Bryan Mbeumo now firmly in United’s sights after making it clear he wants to join the club.
Although Brentford rejected an offer worth up to £55 million last week, discussions are ongoing, and United are determined to reach an agreement soon.
United’s Mbeumo negotiation tactic explained
Football journalist Ben Jacobs has shared the latest on United’s pursuit of Mbeumo, explaining on the United Stand YouTube Channel that United are taking a measured and strategic approach in their pursuit of Brentford forward Mbeumo.
Jacobs explained that United are not looking to submit multiple bids in quick succession, as they want to avoid overpaying. Instead, they are employing the “tactic” of engaging in detailed verbal negotiations to understand Brentford’s expectations and structure a second bid that has a high chance of being accepted.
The club are optimistic about the deal, largely because Mbeumo is keen on joining United — a factor that strengthens their negotiating position.
While there have been reports of a potential £70 million bid from Tottenham following Thomas Frank’s appointment, Jacobs further elaborated that he hasn’t seen evidence of a formal Spurs offer and believes such rumours may be part of Brentford’s strategy to pressure United into increasing their bid.
United’s first bid of around £45 million plus £10 million in add-ons was rejected, and Brentford are believed to want a figure closer to the £62.5 million paid for Cunha.
However, the overall structure of the deal, such as how much is paid up front versus in bonuses, is just as important as the total fee. For example, Brentford may prefer a lower total fee if it’s guaranteed, rather than a higher amount with numerous difficult add-ons.
Ultimately, Jacobs explained that as long as Mbeumo’s desire to join United remains firm, the club are not overly concerned by outside interest.
They plan to continue discussions and have informed Brentford that they will submit a formal second bid only once the groundwork has been laid, giving it the best chance of being accepted.
United need to be strong in their principles this summer
In the past decade, United have become a club renowned for paying inflated fees for talent while failing to recoup enough money in sales – the £85 million fee United paid for Antony and Dan James’ £25 million sale to Leeds is within their top ten sales, which says much.
The issue United’s new regime are now facing is that they are suffering the consequences of incompetent negotiations, with clubs refusing to pay United’s valuations for their player sales as there is a chance the club could fold and sell for cheap, while clubs are demanding extorionate fees for the players United want to sign.
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Brentford’s Mbeumo demands are an example of this – for most of the season, it was reported that Mbeumo would cost around £50 million, but once United entered the race, the demands jumped as high as £70 million.
To fix this, United must stand firm. They must demonstrate to Brentford and the rest of the footballing world that, while they are willing to negotiate, they will not cave to unreasonable demands, and that, when selling players, they will not be pressured into accepting below-par bids.
As much as the club already need to be clever with their spending this summer, they must look to patch up their image and show themselves to be a club that will not be messed with.
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