Manchester United face having to pay a premium transfer fee for Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo, after the Cameroon international reportedly made clear his desire to join the club.
Mbeumo is coming off the back of a career-best season in which he scored 20 Premier League goals and finished fourth in the Golden Boot standings.
But what he can achieve at Brentford is limited and, with only a year left on his contract—although an option can extend it by a further 12 months—his ambition is leading him to look elsewhere.
Arsenal, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur have all been tracking the Cameroon international. Each club can offer Champions League football immediately, which led to some surprise when reports revealed Mbeumo’s preference to be Manchester United.
United finished 15th in the Premier League in 2024–25, their lowest in the post-1992 era. But they have already proactively recruited by triggering Matheus Cunha’s £62.5 million ($84.5 million) release clause. The Brazilian had impressed with Wolverhampton Wanderers and there has been similar excitement over the possibility of Mbeumo arriving at Old Trafford.
But, according to the Telegraph, Brentford could ask for a higher transfer fee than initially expected. Bees boss Thomas Frank has previously said only a “nice amount” would prise Mbeumo away and the newspaper quotes £60 million ($81.1 million), which is automatically pushing him into the territory United’s top 10 most expensive signings of all time.
The other headline-grabbing news has been Mbeumo’s alleged wage demands. The 26-year-old is thought to earn less than £50,000 ($67,600) per week at Brentford and is reported by The Times to have asked for £250,000 ($340,000). The Daily Mail writes that was the figure presented to all suitors, although it is not clear if Mbeumo will secure it. Going in high is a typical negotiating tactic.
From Manchester United’s perspective, the intended sales of Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford will remove two of the highest earners from the wage bill ahead of next season. Antony is also expected to leave, while there remains uncertainty over Alejandro Garnacho.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Man Utd ‘Learn’ Steep Bryan Mbeumo Asking Price, Wage Demands.
