Bryan Mbeumo
Bryan Tetsadong Marceau Mbeumo
Current Club: Manchester United.
Previous Clubs: Brentford, ESTAC Troyes.
Loan Clubs: N/A.
International: Cameroon 22 caps 6 goals.
Trophies Won: N/A.
Another signing for Man Utd that shows the power of a big brand, even when the brand is going through a tough time, in recruiting in football. It is a massive advantage being able to bring in a player who could have had the pick of a lot of clubs, but Mbeumo only wanted United as he was a boyhood fan. When you consider their lowly position last season, you could have forgiven him and Cunha for looking elsewhere this summer, but both wanted to achieve their dream.
What they have in Mbeumo is pace and a good goalscorer, with an exceptional workrate. He reminds me, to a degree, of Dirk Kuyt when he was at Liverpool - lots of hustle and bustle, non-stop effort no matter where he plays, always ready to pop up with a goal but just a little lacking on the technical side. I would have to say that Mbeumo is a better technician and faster than Kuyt, but there is a similarity in their desire and work ethic.
I am sure the Cameroonian will quickly become a fan favourite at Old Trafford, as fans always love a trier, even if it does not work out quite as well as expected. He also offers a lot of utility, he can play up front, just off a striker, wide right attacker or even wing-back, where he actually played exceptionally well when I saw him in that role at Brentford last season. You would expect Ruben Amorim to use him further forward, his goals are too valuable after their struggles in that department last season, but it does give options if injuries hit during the season.
There are weaknesses to his game, though he has a decent leap, his lack of height (he is around 5ft 7" tall) means he is always going to struggle in an aerial duel against big centre-backs. But he can still get his head onto a well-placed cross, as he does make good, well-timed runs into the 6-yard box and is willing to put himself in there when limbs are flying. Being shorter does give him the advantage of a low centre of gravity and he is very powerful, both strong and extremely quick, which makes him difficult to deal with if he gets a run in behind to a ball over the top.
Losing him will be a huge blow to Brentford, especially on the back of Thomas Frank moving on as well, it is going to take a very good player to fill his shoes down the right for them. Mbeumo should elevate Man Utd up the table with his goals and work, but it is also going to be a massive negative for the Bees and could very much put them amongst those who face the possibility of relegation if they have a slow start.
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