Omar Berrada might be about to pass his first Manchester United acid test of the transfer window
Man United are understood to be finally making progress in their quest to sign Brentford attacker Bryan Mbeumo.
Just as it appeared as though Manchester United’s negotiators were resting on their laurels, Newcastle United have inadvertently jolted them back into life.
News of Newcastle’s interest in Brentford striker Yoane Wissa has forced United into tabling a third bid for fellow Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo. It is understood their latest offer for the Cameroonian, worth up to £70million, might be enough to convince the Bees into a sale.
United are understood to have offered £65m up front and an additional £5m in add-ons. In comparison to the first bid United made in early-June, they have offered £15m more than what they were originally going to pay.
Having been in talks with Brentford for more than six weeks for their star attacker, supporters have recently been getting restless at the length of time it has taken United to try and make a breakthrough.
However, with Newcastle set to miss out on the signing of Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike, who is set to join Liverpool, they are now hunting Wissa.
Brentford have already lost boss Thomas Frank to Tottenham Hotspur this summer and are not prepared to lose both Wissa and Mbeumo as well. As a result, United have been forced to get their act together and lodge a third offer for Mbeumo.
The Cameroonian, who scored 20 Premier League goals last season, has long since signalled his interest in a move to Old Trafford, meaning both he and the Reds are equally keen to get a deal wrapped up as soon as possible.
United are in desperate need of new faces this summer after a forgettable 2024/25 campaign and supporters have been frustrated at the lack of transfer activity in recent weeks. United announced they had reached an agreement to sign Matheus Cunha on June 1 and finalised the deal 11 days later, meaning there was an immediate thirst for signings after such an explosive start to the window.
After missing out on Champions League qualification for the coming season, United’s transfer budget is not as big as it would have otherwise been this summer. It means they are having to box clever with their recruitment and keep a very close eye on the finances.
They need to raise funds via player sales and they are yet to oversee a permanent departure this summer. Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Antony, all of whom want to leave, represent United’s best chances of boosting the coffers.
As a result, United are treading a fine line between securing the signings head coach Ruben Amorim needs and not losing control of the finances. The club has been guilty of having their pants pulled down once too often in the market in recent years.
Speaking on United’s post-season tour in May, United chief executive Omar Berrada said: “We have a very clear idea where we need to invest in the squad to improve. So Jason [Wilcox], his team and Ruben have been in talks, as I said, for many months.
“Now it’s a question of executing that plan and doing it in a way that is prudent but, at the same time, with ambition.”
Despite the length of time it has taken to get to this point, United’s willingness to pay £70m to bring Mbeumo to Old Trafford is one way of showing a sense of ambition. An initial fee of £65m will take United’s spending this summer past £127m.
After the way in which this saga has unfolded, some will refuse to believe the Reds have got their man until he is photographed donning United colours, and you can’t blame them.
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But amid the expectation United are now as close as they have ever been to luring Mbeumo to Old Trafford, the club will deserve credit for adding him to their attack if they get the deal over the line. Signing both him and Cunha ahead of the start of the season would count as a big success.
Newcastle’s sudden interest in Wissa, triggered as a result of missing out on Ekitike, gave United the wake up call they needed. As a result, Berrada is now very close to passing his biggest acid test of the summer so far.
