Scoring machine or freak season? What Mbeumo could bring to Man Utd

Bryan Mbeumo has scored 70 goals across all competitions since joining Brentford in 2019

Manchester United were a team short on goals last season - and they seem determined to do something about it.

Having already spent £62.5m on Brazil forward Matheus Cunha, they are now chasing Brentfords Bryan Mbeumo.

After seeing a £45m bid rejected earlier in June, they have gone back with an offer worth more than £60m.

If they are able to get a deal over the line, what will the Cameroon forward bring to Old Trafford? BBC Sport takes a look.

Mbeumo scored 20 goals for Brentford last season - all in the league. Only Liverpools Mohamed Salah, Newcastles Alexander Isak and Manchester Citys Erling Haaland scored more Premier League goals.

But that is the first time the 25-year-old had reached double figures for a top-flight club.

He netted 11 times in all competitions for Ligue 2 Troyes in 2018-19 and 16 goals for Brentford in 2019-20 when they were in the Championship.

The Cameroon had a rather consistent haul in his first three Premier League seasons – eight, nine and nine (in all competitions).

The expected goals (xG) statistic suggests that his 20-goal haul might be a one-off. His xG was only 12.3, meaning he outperformed it by 7.7 goals, something which is difficult to repeat.

There will be plenty of excitement among Man Utd fans though - especially after suffering their worst Premier League season last time round.

Ruben Amorims men finished on their lowest points tally, in their lowest position, with their most defeats in a league season and a record-low 44 goals.

That firepower is something the Portuguese manager is moving quickly to address, with Cunha and Mbeumo.

Cunha scored 31 goals in 76 games in all competitions for Wolves after joining from Atletico Madrid in 2023, but United fans should be wary about expecting too much in front of goal from the duo.

Cunha ranked third for outperforming his expected goals (15 goals from 8.6 xg) last season - with only Mbeumo and Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood recording bigger differences.

Historically, that level of clinical finishing has rarely proved repeatable.

In the past five Premier League seasons, just 14 players have overperformed their xG by at least five goals. The only player to do so more than once is Tottenhams Son Heung-min, in 2020-21 and 2021-22.

The Cameroon international is being bought for not just his goals though.

Mbeumo prefers to play on the right behind a striker - with Cunha expected to feature on the left - but also has the versatility to play centrally.

He tops the list for touches per 90 minutes for players who scored more than 15 goals, showing his involvement in play, and ranks as one of the best ball carriers in the league - consistently with an effective end product.

He was 17th on the list of top assisters – with seven – but in terms of expected assists he was top in the Premier League with 9.3 xA.

That means he would have expected his team-mates to score more of his passes than they did. Salah, who had 18 assists, only had an xA of 9.1.

However he leaves a team where the pressure was not on him to score all the goals - with Yoane Wissa also bagging 19 in the Premier League. He joins a team whose top scorers in the league netted eight - Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo.

Amorim spoke often enough last season about Uniteds failure to make the most of their opportunities.

They need to score much more than the paltry 44 league goals they managed last season.

Mbeumos arrival should help address that shortfall but, as with Cunha, the Cameroon forward will offer more than that.

He has the power and strength to carry the ball forward. Too many of Uniteds attacking players are the nippy variety, who find it easier to operate in small spaces.

The theory is Mbeumo, allied with Cunha, and a strong number nine who can play with his back to goal and hold the ball up effectively, can force the opposition back, creating greater depth to the game, more space for United to play in and greater opportunities.

United are trying to mitigate their recruitment plan going wrong previously by bringing in players who are used to the Premier League and dont require settling-in time, which, after how last season ended, is in short supply.

Mbeumo cannot be the end of the reshaping of Amorims squad - and the former Sporting boss said at the end of last season, it might take a few transfer windows to get what he wants.

But it does appear United will be a bigger goal threat next term. And from that, significant improvement should come.

When Brentford snapped up an 18-year-old Mbeumo from Troyes in 2019 for a then club-record fee of £5.8m, it is highly doubtful the Bees would have thought they would be making a £55m profit six years later.

After stepping out of Ivan Toneys shadow following his departure to Saudi side Al-Ahli, Mbeumo put in the best season of his career to date last term - earning him a Premier League player of the year nomination alongside the likes of Salah, Isak and Virgil van Dijk.

The 25-year-old told BBC Sport Africa of his ambition to be the "best player possible" and, after netting 20 times in the Premier League last season, it seems he is well on the way.

"Every little thing you can add to what we do in the training ground can help," said Mbeumo, who employs personal trainers, physiotherapists, and a chef to cook his meals at home.

"I tried to arrange everything around my life to be the best as possible on the pitch."

Availability is key in top-level football and team-mate Nathan Collins was the only outfield player to spend more minutes on the pitch than Mbeumo last campaign.

"Consistency is really important," Mbeumo said. "If you want to have big ambitions you need to perform the whole season.

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

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