Sports Mole

Manchester United are reportedly 'relaxed' about their pursuit of Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo amid rival interest from Tottenham Hotspur.

The Red Devils are looking to bolster Ruben Amorim's squad after enduring a disappointing 2024-25 campaign.Â

Man United finished in a lowly 15th position with just 42 points from their 38 Premier League matches.

The Red Devils recognise that the final third is one area in need of strengthening after finishing as the fifth-lowest scorers in the Premier League last term.

They have already confirmed the £62.5m arrival of Brazilian forward Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Man United relaxed over Mbeumo pursuit

Man United are now looking to add Brentford's Mbeumo to their attacking ranks, although they have already failed with a bid worth up to £55m.

They are also facing competition from Tottenham, who have one key advantage in the race to sign the Cameroon international.

Thomas Frank recently left his post as Brentford boss to become the new Tottenham head coach, and the Dane's relationship with Mbeumo could be a factor in the transfer battle.

However, Man United do not appear to be concerned by Frank's influence, with Sky Sports News reporting that the Red Devils are 'relaxed' about their pursuit of the Brentford winger.

The report states that Mbeumo is leaning towards a move to Old Trafford, with Man United set to return to the negotiating table with a fresh bid.Â

Man United also have alternative targets in mind if they fail in their quest to sign Mbeumo, including Bournemouth attacker Antoine Semenyo.

How much are Brentford demanding for Mbeumo?

Mbeumo is attracting transfer interest after scoring 20 goals and providing eight assists in 38 Premier League matches last term.

The attacker is out of contract at the end of next season, but Brentford have the option to extend his contract by a further 12 months.

As a result of the one-year option, the Bees are demanding £60m to part ways with one of their most prized assets this summer.Â

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly prepared to step up their interest in Rennes striker Arnaud Kalimuendo.

Spurs are looking ahead to their first campaign under Thomas Frank, who was recently appointed as Ange Postecoglou's successor.

Postecoglou was relieved of his duties after he oversaw a 17th-place finish despite leading the club to Europa League glory to end their 17-year trophy drought.

As a result of their Europa League triumph, Spurs will be looking forward to playing Champions League football in the 2025-26 campaign.

However, they will be aware they need to assemble a squad that can balance their Champions League obligations with their domestic schedule.

Spurs preparing Kalimuendo talks

Spurs are seemingly keen to recruit a striker to provide competition to Dominic Solanke, who joined the club from Bournemouth last summer.

The North London club have identified France Under-21 international Kalimuendo as a potential transfer target.

According to L'Equipe, Spurs are planning to open talks with Rennes in the near future over a possible move for the talented striker.

The report stresses that Tottenham are yet to submit an offer, as they look to establish what it will take to prise the 23-year-old away from the Ligue 1 side.

Tottenham could face competition from fellow Premier League side Newcastle United and Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen.Â

Kalimuendo's season in numbers

Kalimuendo is attracting significant transfer interest after producing an impressive 2024-25 campaign, despite Rennes finishing in an underwhelming 12th position.

The forward racked up 17 goals in 33 Ligue 1 appearances, including one hat-trick and two braces during the campaign.Â

As a result of his efforts, Kalimuendo finished third in the Ligue 1 scoring charts behind Marseille's Mason Greenwood and Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembele.Â

With Thomas Frank confirmed as Ange Postecoglou's replacement in the Tottenham Hotspur dugout, attention for Spurs now turns to reinforcing the squad as they hope to avoid repeating their disastrous league campaign.

The Londoners finished a shocking 17th in the top flight in 2024-25, and failed to reach the famous milestone 40 points across a dire 38-game stretch that featured 22 defeats - the most outside of the bottom three - and just 11 wins, the joint fewest of any non-relegated side.

That being said, the Australian boss did end Tottenham's 17-year trophy drought by winning the Europa League final against Manchester United, securing Champions League football in the process.

As the former Brentford manager prepares to embark on his first season in charge of a traditional 'big six' club, he has a new set of attacking options at his disposal, and has also reportedly asked that Spurs compete with the Red Devils for the signature of Bees forward Bryan Mbeumo.

With this in mind, Sports Mole considers how Frank could set up his frontline in 2025-26.

The importance of counter attacks

At the Gtech Community Stadium, fans became accustomed to seeing a stalwart defence that could transition into a counter attack in the blink of an eye, spearheaded by the dynamic duo of Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa.

While the latter has not been linked with a move across London, perhaps due to his age, the right-sided Mbeumo could link up with new-signing Mathys Tel on the opposite flank.

Additionally, with speedsters such as Brennan Johnson already at the club, a transition-based approach could suit the existing squad as well.

On the other hand, Brentford would typically rely on counters when facing high-calibre opposition that they were outmatched by in terms of personnel, and Spurs fans may have a hard time adjusting to such a mindset given that they are typically used to watching their team compete at the upper reaches of the table.

A creative fulcrum

Last season also saw the re-emergence of Mikkel Damsgaard at Brentford, and the Danish attacking midfielder's immense creativity, combined with his work rate, made him key to the Bees' season.

Tottenham have two of the most creative players in the division on their books in James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, and the duo were extremely effective under Postecoglou regardless of the side's overall struggles.

That being said, given his commendable defensive contributions, the versatile former Juventus man could take the spot behind Frank's striker next term, with Tel and Johnson - or Mbeumo should he join - out wide.

Playing with a traditional striker?

After Brentford earned promotion, they leaned on the prowess of centre-forward Ivan Toney, whose well-rounded skillset enabled him to both score goals and bring others into the action with slick passing during his time in the Premier League.

However, when the England international was sold to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli for £40m last summer, Frank did not replace him in a like-for-like manner, but instead filled the gap in his frontline by shifting to a 4-2-3-1 formation, moving Wissa into more central zones, and bringing former club-record signing Kevin Schade into the starting XI.

At Spurs, striker Dominic Solanke is yet to hit the heights of his AFC Bournemouth days, but given his similar profile to Toney, perhaps the new manager can get the best out of the £65m man.

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly identified Brentford winger Bryan Mbeumo and Bournemouth attacker Antoine Semenyo as their top targets this summer.

Following the dismissal of Ange Postecoglou as Spurs head coach, the club turned to Thomas Frank to replace the Australian, prying him away from Brentford.

Frank's arrival has been positively met by fans, especially as his record of developing stars could bode well for many of Tottenham's young talents.

However, if the Danish boss is to succeed where Postecoglou failed, he will need to be backed significantly in the summer transfer window.

The Mirror report that Spurs want to bring Mbeumo to the club, but also add that Bournemouth winger Semenyo could become a priority if they cannot beat Manchester United to the former's signature.

What do Spurs need?

Semenyo may be a necessary addition given the likes of Richarlison could be sold, while legendary forward Son Heung-min has struggled to impact matches as he has aged.

The 25-year-old is able to play across the forward line, and he would significantly strengthen the squad, becoming one of four options alongside Dominic Solanke, Brennan Johnson and Mathys Tel.

It should be noted that Spurs did manage to score 64 goals in the Premier League in 2024-25, the seventh highest return, but their tally is impressive when considering they battled numerous injury issues.

Perhaps Frank would be better advised to focus resources on strengthening at the back given Tottenham conceded 65 times in the league, the fifth worst record in the division.

While it could be argued that the team's defensive issues would not be so pronounced if they avoided another injury crisis in the backline, first-choice centre-backs Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven have not shown they can be trusted to stay fit.

In fact, the duo missed a combined 62 Premier League games in the past two seasons, and it would be risky to head into the 2025-26 campaign with the same group of defenders.

Brentford attacker Bryan Mbeumo has insisted that he must "accept" the whirlwind of stories surrounding his future amid links with Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.

The Cameroon international was one of just five players to hit the 20-goal mark in the 2024-25 Premier League season, joining Chris Wood, Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak in that exclusive club.

Having gone from strength to strength in the top flight, Mbeumo has inevitably been tipped to join one of the Premier League's traditional 'Big Six' teams; both Spurs and Man United are thought to be pushing for a move this summer.

Thomas Frank's switch to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has ostensibly given Spurs a boost in the race, and Mbeumo is believed to be intrigued by a move to the Europa League winners.

However, Man United are not giving up hope of pipping Tottenham to the 25-year-old's signature, and the Red Devils are supposedly still optimistic of sealing a deal despite already having one offer rejected.

Mbeumo: 'Transfer speculation is the life of a footballer'

The former Troyes attacker recently visited the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, where he gave an interview to Sky Sports talking Frank's exit and transfer speculation.

Speaking out on the Spurs and Man United links for the first time, Mbeumo responded: "It is a bit new for me I would say! I think it can be the life of a footballer and you need to accept it."

Mbeumo is about to enter the final 12 months of his contract at the Gtech Community Stadium, although Brentford are still understood to be after a £60m fee to sanction his departure in the summer transfer window.

The attacker has gone from strength to strength since joining the Bees in 2019, winning promotion in his second season and initially forming a menacing attacking trio with Ollie Watkins and Said Benrahma.

Mbeumo has since established formidable relationships with Ivan Toney and Yoane Wissa, and his 242 appearances for Brentford have brought 121 direct goal involvements, 70 of his own and 51 assists.

Mbeumo backs Frank to succeed as Tottenham manager

However, the Bees are now preparing for a seismic change following Frank's move to Tottenham, and Mbeumo has backed his former manager to succeed in a more pressurised environment.

"He's done so much for me, trusted me from the start, I think he developed the team so well," Mbeumo said of Frank. "He developed me as a human and a player. I can only wish him all the best.

"He knows everything, he's really smart, he knows the way he wants to play. He's been fantastic for Brentford. He's going to have some time to adapt.

"It's going to change for him. UCL games, more expectations, but I'm sure he's going to do well. He knows how to talk to people and that's why we've been playing so well as well."

Tottenham Hotspur will 'reluctantly' accept a sizeable offer for captain Son Heung-min in the summer transfer window, according to a report.

When the South Korean's one-year contract extension was activated last season, then-manager Ange Postecoglou revealed that the main motivation was to give him the best possible chance of ending his Spurs career with silverware.

That mission was a success, as Tottenham's 1-0 victory over Manchester United in the Europa League final gifted Son his maiden major honour as a Lilywhites player.

However, there have seemingly been no discussions about a long-term renewal for Son, who will therefore become a free agent in just over 12 months' time.

The former Bayer Leverkusen man was recently questioned about his long-term future, to which he was non-committal, simply stating that he still has a year left to run on his Spurs deal.

Spurs could 'reluctantly agree' to Son sale

However, with clubs from the Saudi Pro League said to be keeping a watchful eye on developments, journalist Pete O'Rourke claims that Tottenham will part ways with their captain this summer if it is in their best interests financially.

"You’ll have to take a huge offer from the Saudi Pro League to convince Son to make the move away from North London, and also for Tottenham to sell him," O'Rourke told Football Insider.

"From the business side of things, if you look at it from that perspective, this could be the ideal opportunity for Spurs to cash in, but a lot will depend on what the player himself thinks as well.

“I think everything’s up in the air with Son right now. I’m sure the player himself is happy at Tottenham, and ideally, he would like to stay. But if a big offer comes in and it allows Spurs to balance the books with FFP and maybe generate funds for their own transfer plans, it’s something they would reluctantly agree to."

Son's 2024-25 Tottenham season saw the 32-year-old manage 11 goals and 12 assists in 46 games for the Lilywhites, taking his total for the club to an eye-catching 173 strikes and 101 helpers in 454 appearances since 2015.

Has the time come for Son to move on?

Son will celebrate his 33rd birthday in a few weeks' time, and unless you are a certain ilk of attacker - think Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah - a decline at his age is natural.

Nevertheless, the South Korean still hit double figures in both goals and assists last season, and he remains an exceptional example to follow both on and off the field for Spurs' younger players.

However, new boss Thomas Frank has already secured the permanent signing of Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich, while their pursuit of Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo is seemingly intensifying.

Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed the arrival of Mathys Tel on a permanent basis from Bayern Munich.

The 20-year-old joined Spurs on loan during the January transfer window, with the North London club winning the race for his signature despite firm competition from Manchester United.

Tel scored three times and registered one assist in 20 appearances for the capital team, and it has now been confirmed that he has joined Thomas Frank's side on a permanent basis.

"We are delighted to announce the permanent signing of Mathys Tel from FC Bayern," read a statement on the club's official website.

"Mathys joined the club from the Bundesliga side in February on loan until the end of the season with an option to make the move permanent. We can confirm we have agreed a deal with Bayern that will see the France Under-21 international sign a contract that will run until 2031 when his current loan deal ends on 30 June."

Tel joins Tottenham on a six-year contract

Neither Tottenham nor Bayern have announced how much the deal has cost, but according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Spurs have parted with €35m (£29.8m) plus €10m (£8.5m) loan fee and €5m (£4.3m) add-ons.

Tel managed two goals and one assist in 13 Premier League appearances during the 2024-25 campaign, while he also played his part in the team winning the Europa League.

Tottenham's Europa League success secured Champions League football for the 2025-26 campaign and has placed themselves in a strong financial position for the summer market.

Have Tottenham got value for money with Tel?

Tel did not exactly set the world alight at Tottenham in the second half of last season, and the fact that Bayern were keen to move him on is not exactly a brilliant sign.

That said, the Frenchman scored 16 times and registered seven assists in 83 appearances for Bayern and demonstrated his potential during a number of matches.

Tel still has a lot to learn, but he will not be 21 until next April, and he certainly has the skillset to develop into a dangerous Premier League attacker.

It is not exactly a mega-money deal for Tottenham, and it will be interesting to see how new head coach Thomas Frank uses the talented youngster during the 2025-26 campaign.

It was a risk worth taking for the money involved, but time will tell whether the switch is a successful one.

Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed the permanent signing of Mathys Tel, who becomes the first acquisition of the Thomas Frank era.

The 20-year-old first touched down in North London on transfer deadline day during the winter window and made 20 appearances for Ange Postecoglou's team in the second half of the season.

Tel only managed three goals and one assist in that time, but he nevertheless picked up a Europa League winners' medal and convinced the club of his potential.

One day after Tottenham were said to be on the brink of sealing a permanent deal for Tel, the Lilywhites have announced the Frenchman's capture on a six-year contract until the summer of 2031.

"We are delighted to announce the permanent signing of Mathys Tel from FC Bayern," a statement read. "Mathys joined the Club from the Bundesliga side in February on loan until the end of the season with an option to make the move permanent.

"We can confirm we have agreed a deal with Bayern that will see the France Under-21 international sign a contract that will run until 2031 when his current loan deal ends on 30 June."

Tel transfer fees broken down as Spurs confirm permanent signing

As Tottenham alluded to in their statement, the club possessed an option to keep Tel on the books for good, although it is understood that they have managed to negotiate a lower fee.

Had Spurs triggered that clause, they would have paid Bayern €55m (£46.8m), but the Europa League winners are believed to have driven the price down to a fixed fee of €35m (£29.8m).

Bayern could receive an additional €5m (£4.3m) in add-ons, though, and Tottenham already paid the Bundesliga champions a €10m (£8.5m) loan fee to bring Tel to the Premier League in January.

As a result, the total cost of the operation could reach €50m (£42.6m) if all add-ons are hit, although Tottenham's transfer chiefs deserve their plaudits for negotiating a €20m (£17m) discount on the fixed fee itself.

Tel signs for Spurs: Who could Frank target next?

Tel represents Spurs' first signing since Frank replaced Postecoglou and their second acquisition of the summer window; Kevin Danso's loan move from Lens was made permanent for £21m at the beginning of the month.

However, Tottenham will now turn their attention to welcoming new faces to their squad, and head coach Frank is understood to be driving efforts to reunite with Brentford attacker Bryan Mbeumo.

The Lilywhites have supposedly received encouragement in their pursuit of the Cameroon international, who is also wanted by Manchester United, and they are said to have held internal talks over a move for another Bees frontman too.

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.

AC Milan are expected to make contact with German giants Bayer Leverkusen to discuss a deal for midfielder Granit Xhaka this week, according to a report.

The Rossoneri are already adding one layer of experience to their engine room this summer, as they are understood to be on the verge of signing Luka Modric on a free transfer.

The Real Madrid legend and former Tottenham Hotspur man will make the switch to San Siro after representing Los Blancos at the Club World Cup, and the 39-year-old's medical has now been scheduled.

New Milan head coach Massimiliano Allegri is keen to strengthen his midfield further, though, and according to Calciomercato, they want to wrap up the signing of Xhaka immediately after getting Modric through the doors.

Milan to 'test waters' with Leverkusen for Xhaka deal

The Switzerland international has taken the Bundesliga by storm since ending a seven-year stint at Arsenal in 2023, having endured a turbulent time in North London under Arsene Wenger, Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta.

Xhaka enjoyed his most productive Arsenal season in his farewell campaign, though, and he was an integral part of Leverkusen's Bundesliga Invincibles squad in his debut year.

The 32-year-old's powers did not wane last season either, and he particularly excelled on the playmaking front with seven assists in 33 German top-flight matches, in addition to two goals.

Xhaka still has three years left to run on his Leverkusen deal, but the report claims that Milan will 'test the waters' by making contact with the 2023-24 Bundesliga champions on either Monday or Tuesday.

The former Borussia Monchengladbach starlet could become the latest high-profile name to depart Leverkusen this summer after head coach Xabi Alonso and right wing-back Jeremie Frimpong, the latter of whom should soon be joined at Liverpool by Florian Wirtz.Â

From 99 matches in a Leverkusen shirt, Xhaka has scored six goals of his own and provided nine assists, winning three pieces of silverware and finishing as a runner-up in the 2023-24 Europa League.

Xhaka to be part of Milan-Leverkusen swap deal?

Rather than pay Leverkusen a cash sum for the well-versed midfielder, Milan could apparently try to negotiate a swap deal with the German giants involving defender Malick Thiaw.

Leverkusen are supposedly strong admirers of the 23-year-old centre-back, who started 19 Serie A games last season but is about to enter the last two years of his contract.

As a result, there is a strong chance that Xhaka and Thiaw could move in opposite directions as part of the same deal, although Leverkusen would also have to stump up a small fee to sign the latter.