Manchester United are confident that Brentford will accept their improved £70m transfer offer for Bryan Mbeumo this summer
Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo(Image: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Should everything go the way that Manchester United want it to in the next few days, Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo will become their player.
The Reds submitted a third bid for the Cameroonian on Thursday afternoon and MEN Sport understands that there is confidence in the United camp that this offer will be accepted. If this were to be the case, there would be understandable relief from many at the club but when the dust settles, question marks will remain over two players in this United squad.
With two new No.10s in the building, the expectation would be for both men to start in the Reds’ opening Premier League fixture against Arsenal. Matheus Cunha alongside Mbeumo has the potential to be a lethal partnership.
After that, the third of the four midfield positions surely has to go to Bruno Fernandes. Ruben Amorim is a huge fan of the United captain and arguably the only way to get him into the starting XI, alongside the two new signings, is to drop him deeper.
That leaves just one more place which would go to a defensive midfielder – perhaps Casemiro or Manuel Ugarte. It begs the question, where do Kobbie Mainoo and Amad fit into this new team?
The immediate concern will be for Mainoo. While he has been played as a false nine, this was an experiment which has not been repeated on many occasions at all.
Arguably his best role is in what would become the Fernandes role and it is there where he impressed under Erik ten Hag. However, his game time has been eaten into under Amorim and that could only become worse this coming season with less matches on the horizon.
If Mainoo is to be seen as a back-up option this season, you wonder if he will be looking at other clubs where he could become a star. We already know that the 20-year-old can compete in the Premier League and it seems unlikely the Stockport-born academy graduate will settle to be a regular second-string player.
Kobbie Mainoo and Amad in action for Manchester United
For Amad, the scenario is less urgent but could still require some pondering. Like Mainoo, the Ivorian’s favoured role of No.10 appears to have been replaced by Cunha and the impending arrival of Mbeumo.
Unlike Mainoo, Amad cannot play in a deeper midfield role. He could be reintroduced as a wing-back, but options on the right flank are currently swamped by Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui.
However, the 23-year-old has the potential to be a much better option in this position considering his attacking capabilities so long as he improves defensively. Trying to accommodate all of these attacking players is a good problem for Amorim to have in one respect.
But the United head coach also has a scenario where he has to juggle a bunch of players who are used to being first-choice options. None will settle for being backups, and that is when some uncomfortable conversations will need to be had.
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