It’s time for Manchester United to give up on Bryan Mbeumo.
Brentford have made their position clear. Their desired price of £70 million will not be met by Manchester United – and neither should it. After all, Mbeumo’s estimated market value is only £50 million.
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This is not a defeat, but a smart transition policy. A decision most other clubs would have made a long time ago.
A waste of time
United promised not to overcharge players, yet they have spent weeks negotiating in vain. While Ruben Amorim’s team needs a major overhaul, valuable time is being wasted on an impossible deal.
This is not how a well-functioning football club should operate. Although INEOS is now running the show, it seems that the same old mistakes are repeated in the transfer market.
Madueke: An obvious option
There are other options out there. Mbeumo does not belong to the “unicorn” category of footballers like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.
An obvious candidate is Chelsea’s Noni Madueke. The 23-year-old winger has shown interest in Arsenal, but United should be able to offer him regular game time and development opportunities at Old Trafford.
According to SciSports, Madueke is very similar to Mbeumo in style of play, with strengths such as offensive positioning, passing and dribbling. He may not be as good yet, but has higher potential.
Other possible signings
If United are willing to adjust their demands, it opens up several options:
- Christian Pulisic (AC Milan) performs at almost identical level
- Yeremy Pino (Villarreal) has huge potential, but returns from injury
- Brahim Díaz (Real Madrid) could be a realistic target
- Yankuba Minteh (Brighton) as a long-term project
Time for decision
United are now faced with a choice: Pay a premium for Mbeumo or move on to other goals while there is still time. This transfer window is not about a single player, but about building a whole new squad.
It’s time to make a smart decision – don’t repeat old mistakes.
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