Man Utd 'edge closer' to next summer signing as agreement in sight for £63m man who 'won't be the last'

Manchester United’s summer transfer window has been somewhat frustrating, with Ruben Amorim preparing to welcome the majority of his squad back for pre-season training on Monday.

Five players will not be joining up with the rest of the squad, however, as they have all expressed a desire to leave. Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho, Antony and Tyrell Malacia have confirmed their stance to the Red Devils and will be allowed to stay away from pre-season for the time being to try and secure moves away.

So far, United have signed Matheus Cunha from Wolves in a deal worth £62.5m. That transfer was wrapped up relatively quickly, with the only hitch an agreement in how the Red Devils would pay the player’s release clause. They settled on doing so in equal instalments.

Bryan Mbeumo emerged as the next target and with the Cameroon international making a switch to United his preference, it appeared a deal would be done swiftly.

Man Utd’s struggle in securing Bryan Mbeumo deal

The likes of Arsenal, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur have all been credited with an interest in Mbeumo. The Brentford man wants a move to United, giving up the chance to play Champions League football and with Spurs he could have reunited with former boss Thomas Frank.

The Red Devils have made two bids for Mbeumo, both of which have been knocked back by the Bees. The second offer was £55m up front with a further £7.5m in add-ons. The London Evening Standard reports that Brentford value the forward - who had 27 goal contributions last season - in excess of £63m. They will also want most of that figure as a base fee rather than in add-ons.

Speaking about the transfer saga, Brentford director of football Phil Giles insisted a move would only be sanctioned if the deal was right for the London club. He said to BBC Sport: "He had a fantastic season, we expected big interest in him, we have had big interest in him. He has his ideas about where he wants to take his career, of course he does – he is well within his rights to do that.

"We are in constant dialogue with him and representatives about that. As it stands at the minute we don't have an agreement in place for him to leave. It is not impossible he is still a Brentford player next season if we agree he is going to stay.

"It has to be the right deal for Brentford, any club will tell you that. If it's not right deal why would we do it? He is certainly one of our best players, if not our best player, and we need our best players. There's no harm in keeping your best players."

Man Utd finally ‘closing in’ on deal for Bryan Mbeumo

According to The Daily Mail, United are now confident and are ‘edging closer’ to a deal for Mbeumo. It is claimed an agreement in sight as the clubs look to come to a compromise over the transfer fee. The newspaper also claims it will not be the last new signing this summer for Amorim, who is looking to rebuild after a difficult season.

A new striker remains another priority for the Red Devils, but it is not guaranteed they will sign somebody for that position. If an agreement for Mbeumo is reached, further signings will need to be funded by player sales.

Mbeumo is on around £50,000 a week at Brentford and his salary request at the Red Devils comes in below £200,000. It is a significant pay-rise for the player but is within United’s budget. It would prove a significant addition for the club as they look to challenge at the right end of the table again next term.