Bryan Mbeumo: Is he really the player Man United need? | OneFootball

Amid interest from Arsenal and Newcastle, it seems Bryan Mbeumo has opted to join Manchester United, despite their lack of European football following their apathetic Europa League Final defeat.

Despite a reported transfer fee upwards of £55m, as well as a salary demand of £250,000-per-week, the Red Devils remain keen for the Cameroonian to help extricate them from one of the darkest periods in the club’s history.

Man in form

Mbeumo has become coveted by England’s elite after the best season of his career. He scored 20 Premier League goals whilst registering seven assists. He achieved this impressive goalscoring feat whilst only registering 12.12xG, meaning he overperformed his expected tally by almost eight goals (a league high). Interestingly, Matheus Cunha, whom Manchester United have already signed from Wolves, was second in this stat, scoring over six goals more than expected. Acquiring a proven finisher is direly needed for a team whose top scorer, Bruno Fernandes, managed only eight goals.

Formation fit and

Mbeumo’s best position is on the right side of a front three. He has been Brentford’s version of Mohamed Salah, cutting in on his left foot, scoring goals and making his teammates better. The Bees’ pipeline of talent up front have all benefitted from Mbeumo’s intelligence from this position. Ollie Watkins, Ivan Toney and now Yoane Wissa have reaped the rewards from his creativity as well as the attention that he gets from rival defenders.

Amorim tinkering with his role in the team would be playing with fire. In his 3-4-3/3-4-2-1 system, the players either side of the striker tend to play more as number 10s, with the wingbacks providing the width. It’s a role that Cunha could excel in, but not Mbeumo. He needs to be high and wide where he can most easily terrorise full backs and get into the box, rather than being on the half-turn, between the lines. You would not adjust Salah’s position to conform to a pre-conceived system.

If you asked Manchester United fans who their best players were last season, Fernandes and Amad Diallo would probably be near the top of a very short list. Both players consistently occupied those supplementary attacking roles. The arrival of Cunha and potentially Mbeumo creates somewhat of a log jam.

Fernandes already started playing more as a number six towards the end of last season, which limits his effectiveness. His speciality is not breaking up play and dictating tempo, it’s taking risks and making things happen further up the pitch. Amad may have to move back to wingback or have his minutes limited. Shoehorning Mbeumo into a different position to accommodate others would defeat the purpose of signing him in the first place.

Culture fit

Mbeumo was born in France and played for Troyes before Brentford, then in the Championship, made him their club record signing for £5.8m ’s. A move to Manchester, at a £50m-plus profit for Brentford would also mark a drastic cultural change in his life. He would be transitioning from the less demanding, welcoming, familial west London atmosphere into one of the most scrutinised environments in world football. Brentford is a relatively small club that has consistently punched above its weight in recent years, whereas United are the giants of sleeping giants who have drastically underperformed since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson.

With Fernandes staying at the club, and other big-name signings also joining, Mbeumo might struggle to stick out from the crowd. Brentford manager Thomas Frank has said that “He’s become the key man, saying ‘give me the ball, I’ll take this’.”

Will Mbeumo be given that freedom to become the talisman that United need him to be?