Ineos’ pursuit of Bryan Mbeumo has gone over the month mark since the player chose Manchester United.
In early June, it seemed like Manchester United were about to complete a lightning-fast double swoop.
Having signed Matheus Cunha, the pursuit of Bryan Mbeumo appeared a simple deal to complete. Despite a first bid being rejected, Mbeumo’s desire to join United has been persistent, however, Ineos took weeks to return with a second bid and we still await a third and final offer which surely gets the deal done.
However, United return to pre-season on July 7th, and this deal was supposed to be done for this date to give Ruben Amorim the best possible chance of success. So as a result, unless a deal is completed immediately, there is a growing belief United should walk away from Mbeumo, due to Brentford’s frustrating negotiating.
If this is the case, United have now identified an alternative.
Photo by Pim Waslander/Soccrates Images/Getty ImagesIgor Paixao would be the preferred Bryan Mbeumo alternative
Despite the deal being on the final hurdle, with United expected to submit a third bid for Mbeumo, there is no guarantee that the deal will go through.
Brentford’s stance is to hold firm for their demands, which at some point may go beyond what United has to spend.
This would mean alternative solutions would be explored.
Well, in terms of finding a player similar to Mbeumo, there are none better than Feyenoord’s Igor Paixao who is coming off an incredible campaign.
The 25-year-old scored 18 goals and made 19 assists across all competitions in the 2024-25 campaign, with two goals and five assists in the Champions League.
This makes him an attractive option no doubt for several big clubs in Europe.
Paixao is one of the most creative players in Europe, creating 5.08 chances per 90 on average. Despite all the positives, United will be wary for one £86m reason.
Antony sting will put Manchester United off Igor Paixao
Signing Paixao doesn’t sound too bad, especially when considering his £34m price tag, however, United will be concerned about repeating the mistake of signing Antony.
Paixao plays in the Eredivisie, like Antony, and is also Brazilian which doesn’t bode well for his chances of being a success at Old Trafford.
Over the past year, Paixao has been labelled a ‘hidden gem’ by Guillem Balague, after his impressive performance against AC Milan, but concerns will remain for United.
With the plan to sign Premier League-proven players, we find it unlikely that Ineos would pivot to sign a player who would represent a massive risk this summer.
However, there is also a chance he turns out to be everything promised… but that will be for United to decide.