Yoane Wissa reacts to Brentford exit and £71m Man Utd move - 'in 10 years time'
Bryan Mbeumo finally became an official Man United player on Monday evening
One of the Premier League’s biggest transfer sagas of the summer so far finally reached its conclusion on Monday as Bryan Mbeumo was unveiled as Manchester United’s third signing of the window.
Mbeumo was earmarked as a top target by Ruben Amorim and the player made it clear fairly early on that he only wanted a move to Old Trafford, amidst interest from former manager Thomas Frank at Tottenham Hotspur.
After two big offers were rebuffed by Brentford, a deal worth an initial £65m plus £6m in add-ons was agreed last week to the relief of Red Devils fans. A medical and further formalities were then completed and the 25-year-old is now ready to take the field in the red of United.
Mbeumo’s move puts an end to one of the Premier League’s most potent strike forces of last season. Former strike partner Yoane Wissa gave an emotional tribute to his former team-mate and friend in a post on social media after the move was announced.
Wissa with heartfelt goodbye message to Mbeumo
The post was uploaded to Wissa’s Instagram story and relayed by he Premier League Instagram account. Alongside an image of the pair celebrating a goal for Brentford, the message read: “We will talk about it in 10 years’ time”, coupled with an hourglass emoji and a teary-eyed emoji. He continued: “Thank you boss. From friends to enemies. @bryan_.m19.”
Brentford fans will no doubt share the same sentiment, knowing that the double-act have been a major part of arguably the best period in the club’s history. Their contributions will likely live on in the memory for far longer than 10 years. Wissa still remains at Brentford at present, but has reportedly informed the club he would also like to leave amidst interest from Spurs and Newcastle United.
Mbeumo and Wissa struck 39 Premier League goals between them last season, ripping Premier League defences to shreds with their rapid counter-attacks and devastating finishing. Mbeumo in particular outperformed his xG remarkably, displaying a clinical edge in front of goal which Man United were vastly lacking last season. There is much reason to be excited about the signing, with the player viewed as having the right attitude to play under Amorim at United.
‘Bryan is stubborn sometimes’ - Wissa
Speaking with Brentford’s club website in 2024, Wissa spoke of the type of competitive character Mbeumo has on the pitch.
Wissa said: “[Bryan] is stubborn sometimes. But we talk and it’s not about fighting, it’s about understanding each other. We do have arguments every now and then; mainly about being in the box, when either of us is in the right or wrong positions to shoot. That’s the main thing between us. That’s the only sort of disagreements we have on the pitch... apart from when we lose, that’s always tough.
“We always support each other, but sometimes it’s tough when one of us wants to play when the other one is starting. But even though we play in the same position, we don’t feel that competition, it’s more about pushing each other. It was all about finding the right balance between good competition but also fighting with each other. We are also fighting with each other, but that doesn’t mean you have to hate each other!
“I think Mané and Salah is a suitable comparison for me and Bryan; it’s been amazing to watch them. It’s the fact they both scored goals, they both got assists - both of them are stubborn, like us as well! But, ultimately, they want to do the best for the team. And it seemed as though they really pushed each other a lot, that’s what makes them better - I think one year they each scored 20+ goals! That was amazing to see.”