Manchester United are reportedly in the closing stages of sealing a deal for Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo after finally agreeing upon an accepted sum.
United have been chasing after Mbeumo for weeks. Following the completion of their deal for Matheus Cunha, Ruben Amorim’s focus shifted towards the Cameroon international but negotiations have been less than straightforward with Brentford.
The Bees are in the midst of a mid-summer exodus, following the departure of their manager, first-choice goalkeeper and the imminent exit for captain Christian Nørgaard. The savvy Premier League outfit have rejected multiple bids for Mbeumo and were recently expected to demand a fee comparable to the £62.5 million ($86 million) Cunha cost.
Following this latest rebuttal, a “breakthrough” in negotiations has been made according to ESPN. United are set to pay an initial sum of £60 million ($82.6 million) with the final fee worth up to £65 million ($89.5 million) if all add-ons are triggered.
Mbeumo has been billed as United’s “priority” target, despite admiring glances cast in the direction of Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo and Crystal Palace talisman Eberechi Eze. Now that a deal for Mbeumo has finally been struck, ESPN claim that a third forward-thinking signing cannot be ruled out.
With Cunha and Mbeumo perfectly suited to the two No. 10 roles in Amorim’s precious 3-4-2-1 system, United’s next addition would likely be a natural centre-forward. The Red Devils have long been linked with Sporting CP’s sought-after Viktor Gyökeres, who is reportedly considering going on strike to force a summer exit.
There has also been speculation that United have made contact with Chelsea’s mercurial forward Christopher Nkunku. Much like Mbeumo and Cunha, the tip-toeing Frenchman has produced his best form while bouncing off a traditional striker. Nevertheless, United could strike a mutually beneficial deal with Chelsea which would see wantaway forward Alejandro Garnacho move to west London.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Man Utd Make ‘Breakthrough’ in Bryan Mbeumo Transfer.