Man Utd Eye Mbeumo To Solve Goal Drought, But Will History Repeat Itself?

Manchester United are intensifying efforts to sharpen their attack after enduring their poorest goal tally in Premier League history, with Bryan Mbeumo now firmly in their sights.

The Brentford forward, who hit 20 goals in league play last season, sits behind just Mohamed Salah, Alexander Isak, and Erling Haaland in the goalscoring charts. United are understood to have submitted a second offer surpassing £60 million for the Cameroon international, after an earlier £45 million bid was turned down.

Since arriving at Brentford from Troyes in 2019 for just £5.8 million, Mbeumo has scored 70 goals in all competitions. Last season’s output, however, was his first time breaking into double figures at the top-flight level. His xG last term was 12.3, meaning he outperformed that metric by 7.7 goals — a mark few repeat.

United manager Ruben Amorim is rebuilding after a bleak campaign that delivered just 44 league goals, the club’s lowest return in the Premier League era. His first attacking addition was Matheus Cunha from Wolves in a £62.5 million move. United appear keen to land players with proven Premier League experience to minimise adaptation time.

Cunha netted 31 times in 76 appearances for Wolves and was also among the league’s standout finishers, bagging 15 goals from an xG of just 8.6. The only forwards to exceed their expected returns more than Cunha last season were Chris Wood and Mbeumo.

However, Premier League history suggests caution — only 14 players in the past five seasons have bettered their xG by five goals or more. Of these, only Son Heung-min has managed it more than once.

Mbeumo offers more than a sharp touch in front of goal. The 25-year-old excels in linking play and ranked highest for touches per 90 minutes among those with 15+ goals. He’s recognised as one of the Premier League’s strongest ball carriers, often creating danger through direct runs.

He also created chances with consistency: registering seven assists and topping the league with 9.3 in expected assists (xA), ahead of Salah’s 9.1 xA despite the Liverpool star’s 18 actual assists.

Crucially, Mbeumo arrives from an environment where the scoring workload was shared — Yoane Wissa contributed 19 goals — in contrast to a United team whose joint-top scorers, Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo, only managed eight each in league play.

Amorim wants Mbeumo operating on the right, with Cunha on the left, and an unnamed target leading the line. The hope is a new front line with better hold-up strength can help United force opponents deeper, creating more room to exploit.

“Consistency is really important,” Mbeumo told BBC Sport Africa. “If you want to have big ambitions you need to perform the whole season.”

He maintains a strict personal regime off the pitch, employing trainers, physiotherapists, and a chef to maintain peak condition, and was second only to Nathan Collins in outfield minutes played for Brentford last season.

“I think I am still improving every day I put a foot on the pitch. I never put limits on myself.”

His performances earned him a nomination for Premier League Player of the Year, joining the likes of Salah, Isak, and Virgil van Dijk.

Though Mbeumo is likely part of a larger squad overhaul at Old Trafford, Amorim will hope he can ignite an attack that badly needs greater firepower.