Manchester United have seen their own self-imposed deadline to sign Bryan Mbeumo pass by without a deal getting done – giving Tottenham Hotspur renewed belief they could snatch the Brentford forward and amid fresh claims Daniel Levy hopes to thunder back into the race and will sell two stars to fund a renewed bid.
Just over a month now has passed since the Cameroon international made clear his preference to move to Old Trafford this summer, having decided to leave Brentford with just 12 months remaining on his current contract. Having scored an impressive 20 goals and added nine assists from 42 appearances last season, it is easy to see why Mbeumo is a player in such high demand.
And with Manchester United left as his preference, the Red Devils have been working hard to try and get a deal over the line, seeing two bids – the second matching the £62.5m (€72.3m, $85m) fee they paid for Matheus Cunha – rejected by Brentford.
Protected by the fact they have a further 12-month option on his deal, the Bees – now under the management of last season’s set-piece coach Keith Andrews – have continued to dig their heels in over their asking price, ultimately hoping for a fee as high as £65m and with a larger portion of the downpayment made up front.
As a result, United chiefs had set themselves the target of getting a deal for Mbeumo over the line before Monday July 7 – the day their players return for pre-season training at their Carrington Complex.
However, with that self-imposed countdown now coming and going without a deal having been struck, there are suggestions brewing that the Red Devils could be forced to walk away from a deal for their priority target.
Given money is tight at United – and they also want to sign a new striker this summer – any third major deal was likely subject to them securing a number of sales first. Now United could look to focus on other moves instead after seemingly drawing a blank over the former Troyes frontman.
Indeed, according to The Mirror, United chiefs are ready to switch their focus into landing a new striker instead, with Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins fast emerging as a new priority target.
As a result, claims are growing that Tottenham are ready to resurrect their own bid to sign the forward and reunite Mbeumo with his former coach Thomas Frank in N17.
Furthermore, it’s claimed canny Spurs chairman Daniel Levy could look to offload two players of his own to fund the signing….
Bryan Mbeumo: Tottenham ready to explode back into transfer race
To that end, TottenhamHotspurnews reports that Levy will look to sell both Manor Solomon and Bryan Gill this summer to help fund a renewed bid to sign Mbeumo.
Israel winger Solomon spent last season on loan with Leeds and, while it’s understood the player wants to try and force his way into Frank’s plans.
Explaining all the ins and outs, Spurs expert John Wenham revealed: “I think that Tottenham could revisit a deal for Mbeumo later in the window..
“Especially when you consider the sales that Tottenham are still likely to make. I think Solomon still departs, and I think Gil will be sold too.
“Therefore, there are options there, and they could use those funds to revisit Mbeumo.”
While we understand United remain keen on Mbeumo and are not yet ready to abandon the pursuit any time soon, information over any updates has been scarce both from our contacts and elsewhere in the industry.
Indeed, Fabrizio Romano’s last update on the pursuit came a week ago, when he stated on his YouTube channel: “I can tell you that today, even if it’s Sunday, the contacts continue, even today, between Manchester United and Brentford.
“So constant contacts between the two clubs to reach an agreement for Bryan Mbeumo. There is still no here we go, but may United keep working on that, United keep advancing, United keep their confidence and their optimism to make the deal happen.
“So Manchester United are going very strong for Bryan Mbeumo, and now the feeling is quite positive on that one, once again.
“So don’t forget the Bryan Mbeumo deal for the next days, for the next week also, because may United will be pushing and pushing again to get it over the line, and so the here we go is still a strong possibility for Bryan Mbeumo as a new Manchester United player.”
Jadon Sancho to Juventus deadline; striker signing green light; Son decision made
Meanwhile, United are being pressed for a final decision on sending Jadon Sancho to Juventus, with their asking price being confirmed but the chances of a swap deal now also being talked up.
Elsewhere, that striker pursuit at Old Trafford has taken twist amid new claims Ruben Amorim has given the green light to sign a free agent striker who could ultimately only prove to be fourth choice and in the face of their disappointment in the Viktor Gyokeres transfer saga.
Over at Tottenham, the chances of Son Heung-min accepting the chance to join MLS outfit LAFC have been revealed by two sources, with a key commercial factor impacting the timeline of the Tottenham Hotspur captain’s potential exit.
Spurs could move to replace the legendary South Korean with Mohammed Kudus, and with transfer expert Romano confirming they are set to make a second bid for the Ghana international.