/https://sportsmole-media-prod.s3.gra.io.cloud.ovh.net/25/19/ruben-amorim_1.jpg "'Remain optimistic' - Man United 'still expecting' to - Sports Mole")
Manchester United are reportedly 'optimistic' of completing a deal for Bryan Mbeumo this summer despite firm recent competition from Tottenham Hotspur.
Mbeumo is set to leave Brentford during this summer's transfer window, and it has been reported that the Red Devils have a verbal agreement in place with the attacker.
However, Thomas Frank's arrival at Tottenham as head coach has allegedly placed the North London club in a strong position when it comes to competing for his signature.
Spurs can also offer Champions League football next season, with the capital team beating Man United 1-0 in the final of the Europa League last month.
According to journalist Florian Plettenberg, despite the recent speculation, Man United 'remain optimistic that the transfer will go through'.
Man United 'still expecting' to sign Mbeumo
Man United are believed to have already failed with a £55m proposal for Mbeumo, which involved a £45m fixed fee and a further £10m in add-ons.
Brentford are believed to want £60m for the forward, who had an exceptional 2024-25 campaign, scoring 20 goals and registering nine assists in 42 appearances in all competitions.
The Cameroon international has represented the Bees on 242 occasions in all competitions, scoring 70 goals and registering 51 assists in the process.
Red Devils head coach Ruben Amorim is believed to view Mbeumo as the perfect player to operate as a number 10 in his 3-4-3 formation, with Matheus Cunha filling the other role.
Do Man United have alternatives?
Man United have allegedly identified two alternatives to Mbeumo, with Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo and Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze said to be on the club's radar.
Should it become clear that Mbeumo has chosen to make the move to Tottenham, then either Semenyo or Eze could be seriously targeted by the 20-time English champions.
Semenyo's future is the subject of much speculation following a strong season at Bournemouth, while Eze was in excellent form for Palace during the 2024-25 campaign, scoring 14 goals and registering 11 assists in 43 appearances in all competitions.