The prospects of Bryan Mbeumo performing a U-turn and ditching a planned move to Manchester United and hooking up with Tottenham Hotspur instead are gathering pace after a transfer journalist revealed why a possible move to Old Trafford is no longer certain.
The Brentford forward is emerging as one of this summer’s most in-demand stars off the back of a brilliant season for the south-west London side that resulted in the Cameroon forward scoring 20 times and adding another nine assists from 42 appearances, giving Mbeumo a G/A every 123.3 minutes of action for the Bees across the 2024/25 campaign.
And with just a year remaining on his deal and with Brentford making it clear they are ready to sanction their star man’s sale, an almighty transfer race for the player’s services has quickly gathered pace.
But while Manchester United quickly emerged as the club the player has chosen to sign for, getting a deal over the line has not been easy. And with the Red Devils seeing two offers rejected so far – their latest one being worth a downpayment of £50m with a further £10m in bonuses – the door has now opened for another side to nip in and pinch the move away.
Now, according to journalist Graeme Bailey, the prospects of Tottenham Hotspur instead winning the race for Mbeumo cannot be taken lightly.
And with Spurs already having lodged a bigger fee worth a guaranteed £65m and another £5m in add-ons, Ruben Amorim’s side now face the very real prospect of missing out on a deal altogether.
With Spurs able to offer two things that United simply cannot match in the prospect of playing Champions League football and teaming up with his former Bees boss Thomas Frank in north London, Bailey has now revealed a third, decisive factor that could influence his decision.
“United are not going to get into whether they are worried, but I can say that within football, a number of people no longer believe he is certain to move to Old Trafford,” Bailey told Unitedinfocus.
“United had clearly seen off the likes of Newcastle previously, but this Spurs interest with the chance of staying in London is different and certainly a genuine option for him now.”
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Sky Sports have also recently added fuel to the fire that Mbeumo could ditch United for Spurs by stating that the 22-times capped Cameroon forward is ‘intrigued’ by the prospect of hooking up again with Frank in N17.
However, despite Mbeumo now finding himself at something of a crossroads, sources insist to TEAMtalk that the Bees winger is still unwavering in his desire to make Old Trafford his new home this summer.
Having been told by those close to the Mbeumo, our transfer insider Fraser Fletcher remains convinced that Mbeumo’s first choice remains United as long as they can thrash out a deal.
“My understanding on Mbeumo is he has made it clear he wants to join Manchester United,” Fletcher stated.
That view is also backed up by our other senior transfer correspondent, Rudy Galetti, who insists the London side will only come into consideration if Mbeumo’s move to Old Trafford breaks down.
Posting on X last week, Galetti stated: ‘Bryan Mbeumo is NOT considering Tottenham at this stage. He gave his word to Man Utd, with personal terms already close to being finalised. He wants to wait for progress between Utd and Brentford: only if talks collapse, Spurs would be considered.’
The Athletic journalist Laurie Whitwell also insists a move to Old Trafford remains the player’s first choice.
“He has a clear vision and can see how he fits into the system at United,” Whitwell told the Stretford Paddock’s YouTube channel, as he revealed four factors that have influenced the player’s decision.
“The stature of the place – and I know people have been upset about him choosing Man Utd when there is no European football on offer.
“But clearly, the raised profile you get from your own personal brand, let’s say, and also the opportunity to play in that stadium (Old Trafford), the pressure, the eyeballs that come with it, I think it (United) are still an appealing prospect to a lot of players.”
Man Utd launch move for €100m striker; Spurs chase pacy frontman
Meanwhile, United are ramping up a move for a €100m-rated striker who is open to joining the Red Devils this summer and having now established contact with the player’s entourage and his current side, according to Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg.
That move could be funded by the sale of Rasmus Hojlund to Inter Milan and a new report claims the two sides are working on the formula of a deal that will see the struggling Dane swapping Old Trafford for the San Siro.
Over at Tottenham, they are reportedly stepping up the hunt to sign a lightning-fast attacker who had 25 G/A involvements this season, after officially announcing the capture of Mathys Tel on a permanent deal from Bayern Munich.
Frank is also reportedly keen to reunite with another of his former players, with the Dane looking to add more steel to his new team’s midfield and keen on a Bees midfield general, according to reports.