Wes Brown believes Man Utd are pursuing an 'amazing signing' who can 'perform straight away'
Manchester United are out to overhaul their attack this summer
Wholesale changes were demanded at Manchester United this summer after the club’s worst season in recent memory. Ruben Amorim took over in November but it was believed that the Portuguese did not have players capable of playing in his system.
Such a belief can go from a legitimate reason for the club’s struggles on the pitch to an excuse very quickly, meaning smart business this summer was paramount to give the former Sporting manager the chance to take United forward.
The club’s attacking shortcomings have been well documented and Amorim took to the transfer market early to make the required improvements. Matheus Cunha was first to arrive in a £62.5m deal from Wolverhampton Wanderers, then the Red Devils set their sights on Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo.
United see second bid rejected as Wes Brown gives verdict
An opening offer of £55m for Mbeumo was rejected, before a bid of £62.5m to equal their Cunha figure was tabled and quickly rejected. United will need to produce a third offer for the Cameroon international and are confident that they can strike a deal with Brentford.
Former United stalwart Wes Brown has given his verdict on the Red Devils’ prospective signing of Mbeumo.
Brown told Manchester World: “I think Mbeumo would be a top signing, and I think he has been overlooked until this summer. He has had a great few years in the Premier League and, similar to Cunha, he is Premier League proven, which is what United need.
“They need players to come in and hit the ground running, perform straight away and get the fans back on side. He knows exactly what his game is, and he is brilliant at executing it. I think he would be an amazing signing and a real boost to the squad. I would be really optimistic about next season if they get this one over the line in time for a strong pre-season.”
Mbeumo can add goals alongside Cunha
Captain Bruno Fernandes shouldered a lot of the goalscoring burden last year, amidst the struggles of Rasmus Hojlund, Joshua Kirkzee and Alejandro Garnacho, among others. Brown believes that the signing of Cunha will ease the pressure.
He added: “I think Matheus Cunha is the perfect first signing of this window for Man United. He is a big-time player coming to a big-time club, and I think he will only improve on his excellent season last year. I like that the club got it done so early, as that just shows he was desperate to sign for Man United, and they need players like that who are committed to the badge.
“He will bring a much-needed energy to the team, he is confident on the ball, and he isn’t afraid to use his skills and run at defenders. United have missed that kind of directness in recent seasons. United were over-reliant on Bruno Fernandes for the majority of last season, and I think this signing relieves some of the pressure on him.
“Bruno created a lot of chances last season that went begging, but I think Cunha will help with converting some of those. I hope he gets off to a fast start because I think he is a fantastic player who will thrive on this big stage.”