It’s been one of the most drawn-out transfer sagas of the summer transfer window so far, but, according to The Athletic, Man United have agreed a fee of £65 million plus £6 million in add-ons for the 25-year-old.
Mbeumo will become their second attacking signing of the summer, alongside Matheus Cunha from Wolves, in what appears to be a major shake-up of their forward line following the club’s worst ever Premier League campaign.
The Cameroon international has been a feature for Brentford since they earned promotion to the Premier League all the way back in 2019, terrorising opposition defenders as the club established themselves as a fixture in England’s top flight.
Now, he’s on the verge of taking the next step in his already impressive career, but where does he fit in at Man United?
Ruben Amorim’s tactics at Man United so far
Amorim has stuck to his principles since replacing Erik ten Hag last November, as he said he would in his 18 interviews with Gary Neville. He hasn’t deviated from his preferred 3-4-2-1 formation once since joining the club, whether that’s a good thing or bad.
The wingbacks, usually Patrick Dorgu and Diogo Dalot are the ones that provide most of the width in Amorim’s system, hugging the byline and creating overlapping runs that allow the two number 10s to cut inside.
It worked perfectly in Portugal because Amorim had player at his disposal who were able to do exactly that. At United, he had a more traditional winger in Alejandro Garnacho and a more traditional number ten in Bruno Fernandes.
Amad Diallo thrived before he had his season cut short by injury because he’s a player capable of playing as a winger and a number ten. It’s no surprise United’s attacking numbers dropped off a cliff when he was sidelined.
Bryan Mbeumo’s style of play
If Mbeumo was about to be signed by Amorim at United a couple of years ago, it would have certainly raised some eyebrows. With star man Ivan Toney in the squad, Mbeumo was very much a classic Premier League winner.
Since Toney left for Saudi Arabia, he’s added more feathers to his cap. Under Thomas Frank, Mbeumo was utilised as a winger, number 10, and even a striker at times. It’s exactly that type of versatility that makes him so suited for Amorim’s system now.
Last season was his most prolific Premier League campaign by far, scoring 20 goals and providing seven assists, that’s a goal ever 171 minutes, more than any Man United player in their current squad.
How does his signing impact current Man United players?
It’s no secret that United are looking to move on four attackers this summer. Garnacho, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Antony are all on the chopping block, although, as of yet, suiters have been hard to come by.
But, in the surprising event, all of those four players leave permanently, there will still be other players that suffer from the signing of Mbeumo. Diallo will probably be the biggest victim.
The right inside forward is the position Diallo starred in when he was fit. United haven’t spent £71 million on Mbeumo to keep him on the bench, so expect to see Diallo drop further back, potentially as a wing-back next season.
Mason Mount is another who could be in danger here, but he’s more likely to be replaced by Cunha since he prefers to play off the left. He’s another that will likely drop a little further back, although as a central midfielder rather than a fullback.
Verdict
All in all, this is a positive move for United, although the fee is a bit of a worry. Mbeumo is a player with Premier League experience currently at the top of his game who was desperate to move to Old Trafford.
If he’s able to put the amount of money they spent to sign him out of his mind, the forward could be a real game changer for Amroim’s side.