Insult to injury: £55m deal for star United sold for £15m threatening to derail Amorim’s slam-dunk transfer – report

Manchester United’s pursuit of Bryan Mbeumo has “stalled” as Brentford drive up the price for their star forward, according to a report.

The Red Devils have seen two bids rejected for Mbeumo, 25, despite the Cameroon international informing Brentford of his wish to complete a move to Old Trafford.

A Jump in Price

The Bees were initially believed to seeking a similar fee to one United agreed to sign Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers, worth £62.5 million due to the Brazilian’s release clause at Molineux.

United’s opening offer – totalling £55m (£45m up front with £10m in add-ons) – fell far short of this valuation. But the second bid, worth an initial £55m with £7.5m in add-ons, hit this threshold and was still rejected by Brentford.

The i Paper now reveals the west London club view recent deals for Joao Pedro and Anthony Elanga, two Premier League-proven forwards with far less pedigree than Mbeumo, as proof their attacking talisman is worth more than initially projected.

“The i Paper understands that Joao Pedro’s £60m move to Chelsea and Newcastle’s £55m offer for Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga have only served to strengthen the resolve of the Bees to demand well in excess of £60m for the forward up front.

“Pedro and Elanga are fine players but Mbeumo’s body of work – he has 38 top-flight goals across three seasons – means he is worth significantly more in Brentford’s eyes.”

The report states there is “no appetite to cash in” on Mbeumo with Brentford expecting the 25-year-old to stay and play a part in new manager Keith Andrew’s squad if their valuation is not met.

Negotiations have stalled

This escalation in price will undoubtedly have caused frustration at Old Trafford where executives believed they were on the verge of securing their second summer signing and an important target for Ruben Amorim.

There has been “some dialogue” between the clubs since the last bid was rejected but a third offer is yet to materialise. The i Paper contends this bid could still arrive but sources have indicated a deal is “not imminent” with talks “appear[ing] to have stalled”.

“While they have not walked away from talks yet – and seemingly have no intention of doing that – it looks inevitable that the saga will drag on unless their bid is increased significantly.”

“Despite talk of a deal being struck in June when Mbeumo informed Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur that he only wanted to move to Old Trafford, there is a considerable premium being attached to the valuation of Premier League performers this summer and it is now clear that Manchester United have a choice: pay it or miss out on the 25 year old.”

Whether United are willing to “significantly” increase their offer for Mbeumo, with constrained finances this summer, remains to be seen.

There are a host of other needs in Amorim’s squad at present, including a goalkeeper, a central midfielder, a striker, and potential reinforcements in defence, and the deal for Mbeumo was set to drain the bulk of the remaining budget, even before the price jump.

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