Manchester United face Bryan Mbeumo problem that could open door for Tottenham | OneFootball

Brentford talisman still favours Old Trafford switch, but Spurs could yet have the upper hand in transfer battle

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United are reportedly now readying a second bid for the Cameroon international, but their pursuit of Mbeumo could be complicated by the fact that former Brentford boss Thomas Frank has joined Tottenham.

Brentford will be glad to entertain a bidding war between the two teams, who both endured difficult domestic campaigns, and are in a strong bargaining position with the club holding the option to extend Mbeumo's contract, which expires in June 2026, by an additional year.

Brentford want to hold out for a fee close to the £62.5m United paid for Wolves forward Matheus Cunha earlier in the summer. Most importantly, however, they want strong payment terms, which would mean maximising the fee received up front.

That could cause problems for United, who had wanted to pay for Cunha over five years before eventually meeting Wolves' terms of three instalments over two seasons.

Strike partnership: Mbeumo has flourished at Brentford, with the help of team-mate Yoane Wissa

Getty Images

United's initial reluctance suggests they are not in a strong position to meet Brentford's terms, and that could open the door for Tottenham to move for Mbeumo.

Frank was the man who brought Mbeumo to England as a teenager in 2019, and the pair enjoy a close relationship, having helped take Brentford from the Championship to the Premier League before enjoying four successive seasons in the top-flight.

Mbeumo also knows Frank's backroom staff members at Spurs, Justin Cochrane (first-team assistant coach), Chris Haslam (head of performance and first-team assistant coach) and Joe Newton (first-team analyst), from his time at Brentford.

The forward enjoyed a particularly strong relationship with the highly-regarded Cochrane, with the pair working closely on Mbeumo's finishing.

During the 2021-22 season, Brentford's first in the Premier League, Mbeumo underperformed his expected goals (xG), scoring just four times from an xG of 9.3.

Cochrane came to the club the following season, working closely with Brentford's attackers, and this season Mbeumo outperformed his xG, scoring 20 times from an xG of just 12.3. Without Cochrane's intervention, there is an argument to say that Mbeumo may not have become the player he is today.

Mbeumo looked set to hit new heights in the 2023-24 season after grabbing seven goals and four assists by early December, but an ankle injury sidelined him for the next four months of the campaign. That form was to be an early indication of what was to come.

Mbeumo, relishing the spotlight after the departure of Ivan Toney, became Brentford's talisman, scoring 20 times and adding a further eight assists alongside strike partner Yoane Wissa.

Without Justin Cochrane, Mbeumo may not have become the player that he is today

The pair struck up an enviable partnership, hitting 39 goals between them in the league, but where Mbeumo stood out was in his ability to take charge of games, opening the scoring in 10 of Brentford's 38 top-flight matches.

A deeply competitive individual, Mbeumo was often seen as quite erratic during his early days at Brentford. Now, with the help of Wissa, who he said has helped him to control his emotions better, Mbeumo has been able to channel his competitive edge into something more productive.

United remain confident of wrapping up a deal for Mbeumo and are still frontrunners for his signature. Brentford, though, are prepared to wait for favourable terms before sanctioning a sale and Tottenham are ready to come in should their rivals struggle to agree a price.