Manchester United finalised the signing of Cameroonian forward Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford FC on a permanent deal for a reported £70 million fee, add-ons included. The 25-year-old winger put pen to paper over a five-year deal, and he is United’s second signing of the summer after Brazilian striker Matheus Cunha joined from Wolves. He has become the second-most expensive African footballer in history behind Nicolas Pepe.
Mbeumo has closed the curtain on his successful stint at Brentford, which saw him register 70 goals and 51 assists in 242 appearances for the club. He played a vital role in The Bees’ promotion to the Premier League in 2021. He led the club to several memorable moments in England’s top flight, helping them avoid relegation. Mbeumo registered 42 goals and 30 assists in 136 Premier League games for Brentford.
Manchester United were locked in intense negotiations with Brentford for nearly two months before they found a breakthrough in negotiations with The Bees over a club-record sale: his £70 million fee surpasses the £40 million they received for Ivan Toney in 2024. Understandably, the Bees were unwilling to part with their prized asset. Linked to Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, and Newcastle United during the transfer window, United held an advantage over other clubs that stemmed from Mbeumo’s preference for them, a childhood dream.
There were 44 days between United’s first bid and its third bid. Within that period, their rivals strengthened themselves repeatedly, making several additions to bolster their ranks. United fans grew increasingly frustrated with their club’s failure to get a deal over the line for one silky winger.
Fortunately for everyone at United, his signing was completed in time for the winger to spend most of the pre-season tour with the United squad, allowing him to familiarise himself with his teammates and the coach’s system.
Born in France to a Cameroonian father and a French mother, Bryan Mbeumo represented France at the youth levels but opted for Cameroon at the senior level. He has netted 6 goals across 22 appearances for the Indomitable Lions. He debuted professionally with French Club Troyes in 2017 and moved to Brentford in 2019.
Mbeumo joins on the back of a hugely successful Premier League season with Brentford FC, during which he registered a personal best of 20 league goals and seven assists across 38 league appearances. No Brentford player has scored more in a single Premier League season. He lost out to Mo Salah for the Premier League Player of the Year award but earned a deserved inclusion in the Premier League Fans’ Team of the Season.
Manchester United’s fanbase has met his signing with widespread enthusiasm globally. Expectations are for Mbeumo and fellow signing Matheus Cunha to operate in the Number 10 spots behind a lone striker in Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 formation, with Mbeumo on the right side and Cunha on the left.
An Elite Goalscorer
Astonishingly, Manchester United scored a meagre 44 goals in the Premier League last season, while Mbeumo notched nearly half of United’s tally, with 20 goals. United’s joint highest goalscorers in the League notched 16 goals, a tally that falls short of Mbeumo’s.
Tasked with leading Brentford’s frontline in the wake of Ivan Toney’s departure to Saudi Arabia, he stepped up brilliantly, dominating Premier League teams and finding the back of the net sporadically alongside strike partner Yoane Wissa. He propelled The Bees to the brink of European qualification, an improvement from a 16th-place finish the previous season.
Mbeumo’s attacking metrics went off the roof last season, recording career-best numbers across every metric. Goals, assists, chances created, shots, touches in the opposition box, crosses; he was on an elevated wavelength.
He recorded the highest goal tally of his career, notching 20 league goals for Brentford. He significantly outperformed his 12.3 expected goals (xG) and nearly doubled them. No other player outperformed him in that regard.
Image source: Sky Sports
His 20 league goals were only bettered by three players: Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, and Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, all regarded as elite finishers. His shot conversion rate of 23.53% was bettered by Salah and Isak only. His immaculate form and numbers among Premier League Players were overshadowed by Mohamed Salah’s otherworldly brilliance.
United’s goalscoring woes last season were well publicised as The Red Devils failed to find the back of the net in 15 Premier League games. They ranked sixth for chances created but 18th for shot conversion into goals, numbers closer to relegated teams than big teams. His clinical precision is a welcome addition to the United attack.
Critics could cite that one-fourth of his goal tally was penalties. However, this points to his ability to deliver under pressure. Mbeumo is fervently dedicated to improving himself. One takeaway from his goalscoring record in England’s top-flight is that it gets better every season.
More than Goals
Mo Salah was undone by his teammates’ wasteful finishing in his quest to shatter the Premier League’s all-time single-season assist record. Like Salah at Anfield, Mbeumo would feel hard done by his teammates for spurning several goal-scoring chances.
According to StatsBomb’s On-Ball Value (OBV) metric, only Salah added more value to his team’s attacks last season than United’s new marquee addition. OBV assigns a value to each action a player takes in line with its positive or negative impact on the probability of their team scoring and conceding.
In retrospect, his 27 goal contributions earned Brentford 22 points, 40 percent of the Bees’ season tally of 56 points. Considerably, he performed less than his 9.26 expected assists, but his teammates’ wasteful finishing contributed to this.
He is classified as a triple-threat attacking player – Triple-threat players can choose to pass, dribble, or shoot in an attacking position or within sight of the goal. Their unpredictability makes it harder for opposition defenders to defend against them.
Brentford reaped immeasurable dividends from Thomas Frank’s decision to deploy him in a right-wing position, as his new role allowed him to play to his creative and clinical strengths.
Mbeumo constantly looked to create something out of nothing, excelling at pinging in crosses and sublime passes from a wide role. No Premier League player attempted more crosses than him last season, attempting a league-best 202 crosses. He created 18 big chances, numbers bettered only by Mo Salah, Bukayo Saka, and Cole Palmer.
Skilled at driving in and skipping past opposition defenders with ease, his progressive abilities on the ball opened up several goalscoring channels for Brentford. He held the width frequently for Brentford and often looked decisive in possession of the ball, cutting in and shooting or driving inside or teasing a cross into the box. He constantly put his team on the front foot in attack. A profile United missed sorely last season as Bruno Fernandes stood out as United’s main playmaking outlet.
Notably, Mbeumo’s magical dribbling skills and ability to slalom his way through tight spaces can unlock tight defences, provide moments of inspiration, and shift a match’s momentum instantaneously, a profile that United lacked sorely last season. He completed 53% of his attempted 99 dribbles last season.
According to the BBC, he was a progressive ball carrier. He was responsible for nine carries of more than five metres, which directly resulted in a goal being scored in 2024-25—comfortably the most of any Premier League player last season.
A multi-creative outlet, his pinpoint precision and accurate set-piece deliveries from corners and other situations make him a valuable addition to United’s forward line. With the ball at his feet, he is an irrepressible danger to opposition defenders.
The signs point to Amad Diallo being deployed in a right wing-back position next season, with Mbeumo taking up the right No 10. spot in attack. United’s right side will undoubtedly benefit from the superior dribbling skills and the creative abilities of Mbeumo and Amad.
Notably, Mbeumo will see a reduction in the volumes of set pieces next season as United has an established set-piece taker in Fernandes.
The Complete Winger
Thomas Frank, former Brentford FC Head Coach, previously said, “Bryan is exactly the sort of player we want at Brentford. He is quick, he is direct, he can beat people attacking one-on-one, he can arrive late in the penalty area, and he can score goals. It is also great that he works unbelievably hard off the ball.
His former manager at Brentford FC, Thomas Frank, praised his evolution from a showboating winger to a complete attacker during their time together.
Hardworking and pacey, he covered the third-highest distance and recorded the third-highest number of sprints in the league season while clocking the fourth-fastest speed at 36.63 km/h. He regained possession in the opposition half on 32 occasions; only two players did better in the league last season.
Mbeumo’s pace is an excellent asset in stretching opposition defences and counterattacking situations.
Mbeumo works his socks off, on and off the ball! Attackers are the first line of press; having attackers that press intensely makes a team’s press effective.
Made for the big occasions
As he has shown throughout his career, he never shies away from the biggest moments and grandest stages. From his youth career, he has proved himself by being decisive in challenging battles and high-profile matches.
His match-winning brace led the Troyes U-19 team to victory in the final of the Coupe Gambardella in 2018. He played a starring role as Brentford defeated Swansea in the 2021 Championship play-off final to gain promotion to the Premier League.
In his Premier League career, apart from Arsenal FC, Mbeumo has recorded goal involvements against all the EPL ‘Big Six’ members. His match-winning goals and decisive assists have led Brentford to famous wins against current employers Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool FC, Chelsea FC, and Tottenham Hotspur. He has a penchant for notching goals and assists against United’s fierce rivals, Chelsea, with 6 G/A against the Blues and 5 G/A against Spurs. Like Mo Salah, he was one of the best at deciding the outcome of matches last season.
“He is becoming more of a leader, driving training sessions, pushing the team, and growing as a person. He is an extremely important player and a fantastic person to work with.” Thomas Frank.
United’s Champions mentality has crumbled in recent seasons, flickering faintly on the verge of extinction. They need a leader to reignite the spark, and there’s no better candidate than Mbeumo, an absolute mentality monster. Over the years, he has honed his mentality and learned to cope under pressure. He thrives under pressure and lives for the defining moments now. If anyone can rally this dysfunctional United side and get their head back in the game, he can.
Mr Consistent
Mbeumo was an ever-present figure at the start of XI during his time with Brentford. A nasty ankle injury that ruled him out for three months in the 2023/2024 season was the only time he missed a large chunk of the season through injuries. A physical specimen, he is always fit. Last season, he played in all 38 league games for Brentford, a feat he previously achieved in the 2022/2023 season.
Manchester United made Bryan Mbeumo a statement signing by splurging the cash on him without reservations. The Mancunian club is desperate to rediscover its exciting form and return to the top of the game in England. A heavy burden lies on Mbeumo’s shoulders with the amount of faith, belief, and conviction United have in his signing. The Cameroon international has to repay that trust adequately.
There is no better way to do so than by reinvigorating a team that finished 15th last season and perching them on the wings of dominance, dragging them back into contention with the big boys. United’s failure to qualify for any European competition might be a blessing in disguise if the opportunity is maximised. The 2024/2025 season was a teaser. Bryan Mbeumo is just getting started!
