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Just a £5m gap stalls negotiations for Manchester United to sign their priority target

Originally posted on We All Follow United
By Siddharth Juyal | Last updated Jul 17, 2025 8:58 AM ET

Manchester United stalls negotiations to sign Brentford star forward Bryan Mbeumo, despite his desire to join the club this summer. Brentford have already rejected two offers for their prolific Cameroonian international, holding onto a much bigger valuation against Man United.

The Red Devils have prioritised the attacking department under manager Ruben Amorim at the start of the current transfer window. After signing Matheus Cunha from Wolves, United turned their attention towards Mbeumo to bolster their attack and solidify two positions.

However, after a long negotiation, things have come to an impasse between the two clubs, which are not compromising anymore. Amorim uses the 3-4-2-1 tactical formation, which requires players of Mbeumo’s profile to operate as one of the inside forwards.

Both Cunha and Mbeumo enjoyed a prolific season with their respective club, which gained the attention of the Red Devils. We All Follow United covered that Brentford rejected United’s second bid of £62.5m for Mbeumo, which they considered good enough.

According to the Guardian, Brentford have raised the price towards £70m for Mbeumo amid continuous negotiations with United this summer. The report revealed that Sir Jim Ratcliffe will not pay more than United’s £65m valuation of the 25-year-old Brentford attacker.

The £5 million gap in valuation has split the United fanbase, with some urging the club to sign the player Amorim wants. Others understand Ratcliffe’s stance, given how selling clubs have bullied United into overpaying in the past.

Those sales proved more costly as the majority of the bought players failed to live up to their expectations. United are in a very tricky situation at the moment, as they cannot afford to dwell on one target.

The Red Devils exposed vulnerabilities across several areas of the pitch last season, and the club has yet to address them. Meanwhile, all the surplus players are also at the club, despite United’s clear desire to sell them this summer.

This article first appeared on We All Follow United and was syndicated with permission.

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