He was outstanding for Brentford last season but a £70million valuation of Bryan Mbeumo seems a touch excessive. But it seems that is what Spurs are prepared to pay in order to secure his services.
As no-one knows Mbeumo better than Thomas Frank, perhaps the 25-year-old is worth that sort of money but, on the overall evidence of his six years in England, it seems a touch excessive. And it would seem unlikely that Manchester United would match or better that figure.
But they might not need to. Mbeumo might tell Brentford that he wants to go to Old Trafford, not Spurs. As unlikely as it seems, Mbeumo could well be a test case for United’s pulling power, which was once unrivalled and has not faded as much as some people might think.
On the face of it, there are many reasons why a move to Spurs is a very attractive proposition for Mbeumo. In no particular order …
*He will be playing in the Champions League.
*He will be playing for a manager he clearly likes and has a relatively long and happy relationship with.
*He will not have to leave London.
And on the face of it, there are many reasons why a move to United is not an unequivocally attractive proposition. In no particular order …
*He will be playing for a manager who might not be there that long.
*He will be playing for a team that finished five places and 14 points below Brentford last season.
*He will not be playing in any European competition, never mind the Champions League.
But there is one fundamental reason why Mbeumo might try and insist on going north. It is still Manchester United. And whenever United re-establish themselves as an elite force in the Premier League - which they will, sooner or later - it will be the biggest story in town.
That is a fact, like it or not. (And I get it that a lot of people don’t.) One of Jurgen Klopp’s mantras was about wanting players who would ‘push the train, not jump on the running train.’
It was a reference to players who relished the challenge of being key to the revitalisation of a team. From his decision to join United and from his comments when signing, Matheus Cunha seems that sort of character.
“I know it’s been a hard season for everyone,” said Cunha. “But I think my decision shows what this club is for me and what I believe this club can be. For me, no-one else is like United.”
And again, a lot of people will not like it, but you can see where Cunha is coming from. Listen, money will play a part. It always does.
United will probably be in a position to pay Mbeumo considerably more than he might earn at Tottenham Hotspur. And a cynic might think the prospect of more money and, with no European football, a lighter workload might be of considerable appeal to the modern footballer.
But for all the club’s tribulations, for all the club’s mediocrity on the field, Manchester United is still a huge draw for a player. And in the case of their pursuit of Bryan Mbeumo, Spurs might just be about to be reminded of that.