Manchester United are on the verge of bringing Bryan Mbeumo to Old Trafford as their next signing of the transfer window.
The Red Devils began the summer with the acquisition of Matheus Cunha, with United boss Ruben Amorim looking for more firepower in the attack following the 2024/25 season in which they only scored 44 goals in the Premier League.
Having also agreed to sign Southampton youngster Harley Emsden-James, everything looks set for Mbeumo to become the third new addition of the season.
Bryan Mbeumo to Manchester United has made 'significant progress', with green light given
Mbeumo is said to have verbally agreed his move to the northwest, following his decision to prioritise a move to United ahead of the likes of Arsenal and Newcastle United, who were also interested in his signature.
Managerless Brentford, meanwhile, have lined up their successor to the Cameroon international, as they hone in on Metz winger, Cheikh Sabaly.
Fichajes in Spain now reports that, negotiations have made “significant progress,” and that, “everything indicates that a deal could be finalised in the coming days.”
Ranked at no.7 in FourFourTwo's list of the best right wingers in the world right now, Mbeumo scored the most goals of any player in the Premier League last season not to have qualified for a European competition by the end of the campaign.
FourFourTwo understands that the only holdup in the move so far is a difference of opinion between the two clubs over a fee, though it is expected that the Bees will acquiesce to their demands, with the French-born attacker, given his enthusiasm to move to Old Trafford.
United are also chasing a target man at no.9, following the poor campaigns of Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee last term.
Viktor Gyokeres and Dusan Vlahovic have been rumoured, though Mbeumo is more than capable of leading the line himself.
The 25-year-old is valued at €55 million, as per Transfermarkt.
Whisper it, but United's attack is starting to resemble Liverpool's classic front three – at least in terms of profile
The facilitator, the dynamo and the killer: it's a tried-and-tested formula when it comes to a world-class frontline.
While you need players who have multiple qualities to their game, it's common to have player as the one you rely on most for goals (the killer), and another as an physical force of creativity and unpredictability (the dynamo). The final player has to be the unselfish – sometimes un-flashy – member of the attack who facilitates the other two.
Some attacks defy formulas – but think of some frontlines and see if you can apply it. Benzema (facilitator), Bale (dynamo) and Ronaldo (killer). Benzema (facilitator), Bale (dynamo) and Ronaldo (killer). Murphy (facilitator), Gordon (dynamo) and Isak (killer). Raphinha (facilitator), Yamal (dynamo) and Lewandowski (killer).
Liverpool's classic attack – Roberto Firmino in the facilitator role, Sadio Mane as a dynamo and Mohamed Salah as the killer – is the perfect example of the template. No, United do not have players that accomplished in their attack, but profile-wise, they're following the same rules.
On the left, Cunha has the potential to be the dynamo attacker for Amorim, capable of scoring and creating equally with a mercurial streak that makes him impossible to predict – a little like Mane. Mbeumo, meanwhile, has shown the kind of ruthlessness and prolificacy that makes him the killer in this system from the right, like Salah.
With Hojlund leaving, that just leaves Zirkzee tasked with giving his best Firmino impression as the facilitator, able to drop deep like a false nine and combine with team-mates.
It needs reiterating: United are not signing ready-made players at the level of Mane and Salah at their pomp. But by following this formula for what makes a high-functioning attack, United could well be about to platform their attackers with an exquisite balance.
