According to the latest reports, Manchester United's deal to bring in Brentford winger Brian Mbeumo now leaves only a million-pound difference. The 25-year-old Premier League 20-goal goalscorer has agreed to join and the Red Devils only need to reach a club-level agreement to complete the transfer.
The two sides have been haggling after Manchester United's only official offer of £55million to date was rejected by Brentford. TEAMtalk's Rudy Galetti says progress has been made. 'Manchester United and Brentford are actively engaged around Mbeumo and the gap in fixed fees is narrowing: only a few million remaining.' "The personal terms have been agreed, as revealed a few days ago," he said. So far, Bryan [Mbeumo] only wants Manchester United and has no interest in other clubs."
However, United's process of bringing in a new centre-forward in the summer transfer window has left them in a dilemma. Ruben Amorim wants a new No.9 signing, but every potential candidate doesn't seem to be a good fit. Whether it's Hugo Ekitike, the most rumored lately, or the most famous Osimhen and Djekereish, or Vlahovic, who actively promotes himself, everyone has their own problems, and they are all big ones!
According to the Manchester Evening News, the signing of the new centre-forward may not be completed until the end. Manchester United's most needed positions are rarely the quickest to complete. Last year, Ten Hag was in need of a midfielder, but Ugarte didn't join until 30 August.
The 22-year-old French striker has held initial talks with Manchester United, but if things remain the same, the Reds are unlikely to bring him in the summer window. Eintracht Frankfurt put a price tag of 100 million euros on him, and even if it is reduced to 75 million euros, it is still too high. Eintracht Frankfurt did so for good reason, they have already sold Malmouche and it would spark outrage if they sold their main players after qualifying for the Champions League. Therefore, the team's price tag is hundreds of millions, which is enough to give fans an explanation.
Amorim wants an experienced goalscorer who can immediately boost United's scoring prowess, while Ekitike, despite his talent and potential, has 22 goals and 12 assists in 48 games for Eintracht Frankfurt this season, but he lacks experience, especially in the Premier League. This makes his high price tag probably not worth the money, as his failure at Paris Saint-Germain makes it feel like his move could be expensive and risky.
Rumours have suggested that United could trade Hojlund or Zilkze for Eintracht Frankfurt, but this is a difficult operation that is unlikely to be completed and is purely hype, with both Red Devils centre-forwards preferring to return to the familiar Serie A if they transfer.
Osimhen and Vlahovic have the same problem, that is, the income is too high, and both are asking for a weekly salary of 200,000 pounds after tax, which is equivalent to 400,000 pounds a week! Moreover, the 26-year-old Osimhen also needs 75 million euros in liquidated damages, making him doubly expensive.
Juventus are willing to sell Vlahovic for £20 million, who approached Manchester United, but the player's annual salary requirement is between €10 million and €12 million after tax, which is equivalent to the maximum salary in the Red Devils. Vlahovic has been the highest-paid player in Serie A in recent years, and his staggering income is the reason why Juventus are willing to sell at a reduced price, as they want to unload a heavy burden.
The transfer of 27-year-old Swedish centre-forward Djekereish is becoming one of the most bombastic soap operas of the summer, and there is no telling what is said about his whereabouts every day. According to the Portuguese newspaper El Ball, now Sporting Portugal will ask for a transfer fee of 80 million euros, "not a penny less".
Dzhekeraich's agent, Hassan Settinkaya, has been in a heated argument with the Sporting administration, arguing that the Portuguese champions agreed to accept a fixed transfer fee of €60 million plus a variable amount of €10 million last year, but Sport flatly denied it, stressing that it would not be an exaggeration to ask for such a price for the striker who has scored 54 goals in 52 games.
Ironically, Djekereish himself is also speechless, claiming that he has not turned down any club, but is simply "Arsenal first". It's the equivalent of a lady telling her suitor: I didn't reject you, you can be my spare tire.
Rajue will surely lament the loss of Chelsea's £30 million new signing Liam Delap, who is hard to find at a good price. United may also need to return to the Premier League if they want to complete a less risky deal and try to bring in Crystal Palace's Mateta. However, this will run into another obstacle. Manchester United are not in the best shape at the moment, so why should such players choose to join the fire? The Red Devils were able to sign a player like Cunha because of a combination of high prices, high salaries and a lot of other factors.