Mbeumo signs, Rashford reality, Garnacho decision - Man Utd's next transfers

Daily Mirror

3 hours ago

Manchester United have only added Matheus Cunha so far this summer but are chasing Bryan Mbeumo with Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho facing uncertain futures and a plethora of other issues to be sorted out
Manchester United's summer so far has been a lot of talk but far less action. Ruben Amorim knows he needs a big few months if he is to be a success at Old Trafford.
The less said about last season's Premier League effort the better, but the man in the dugout now has the chance to address any issues and have a full pre-season getting his ideas across. The last few months and their results underlined the need for new faces in Manchester.
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Many have been linked but so far only Matheus Cunha has signed. His arrival was made far easier by a release clause that existed in his Wolves contract - although which leaves United paying the cash faster than they would have preferred. However, trying to persuade other clubs to sell up has proved a lot harder.
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The Europa League final defeat also means that the Manchester outfit cannot offer European football of any kind, which will deter some players from moving. Already Liam Delap has opted for Chelsea instead of the Red Devils.
Adding more firepower appears to be a priority whilst almost every player on their books is potentially up for sale. Amorim's unique system requires certain players to make it tick and those are the ones he's targeted, whilst he also has a number of big name individuals who needs to have their futures wrapped up.
The likes of Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho are back in Manchester, but for how long? Alejandro Garnacho is edging closer to the exit door with his potential departure likely to fund their summer business as clubs in the Premier League and abroad weigh up bids.
Mirror Football takes a look at what comes next...
The Mbeumo deal
Bryan Mbeumo is currently the main man on United's radar. They've just made another bid, this one worth a total £60million. Brentford are holding out for £65m, wanting a little more that it cost to land Cunha due to him being younger and having scored more than the Brazilian last term, while knowing that Tottenham are also waiting in the wings.
Mbeumo has just enjoyed his best year in front of goal and the Bees have proved that they are a selling club. The disparity between United's bid and Brentford's asking price is minimal, which all points to a deal getting done. The only potential sticking point is the structure of the deal with the west Londoners not wanting instalments.
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United though want their man and are unlikely to miss out over such a detail. Amorim wants it done and dusted before pre-season training begins on July 7.
Rashford's reality
Rashford will soon be back in the building after several months away with Aston Villa. It became clear when Amorim rocked up that he and the England star weren't at all aligned with the United boss claiming he couldn't get the player to see football the way he does.
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The forward was impressive whilst at Villa but they haven't exercised their option to sign him for £40m. It leaves Rashford in limbo and whilst he's claimed he could play as a No.9, the transfer activity at Old Trafford suggests they feel they need to improve in that area and will look outside the club, not within, for their options.
But what now for Rashford? Well the dream Barcelona switch looks to be off the cards as they move for Nico Williams of Atletico Madrid instead. They're also taking the Copenhagen kid Ronny Bardghji.
Any suitor who comes in will want him to lower his wages and probably won't want to be paying United anything like they're looking for. But currently there isn't a huge amount of noise regarding a buyer and the player is very much stuck in limbo.
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A goalkeeper switch
Speaking of outside noise, the talk of Andre Onana leaving Manchester won't go away. The Cameroonian has now spent two years at the club but is yet to convince. The constant errors even saw Amorim drop him for a game last term and Monaco as well as clubs in Saudi Arabia are thought to be keen.
United could therefore be on the lookout for a new goalkeeper and the Emiliano Martinez links continue to persist. The Argentine cut an emotional figure at the end of the season with Villa, many seeing it as possible goodbye. Atletico Madrid are keen but United are also waiting in the wings. Gianluigi Donnarumma, the PSG No.1, is, right now, frankly not going to happen.
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Sancho among those to go
Sancho, like Rashford, was out on loan last term but unlike his team-mate a pathway back to Manchester appears a lot less likely. His loan to Chelsea came after he also had a stint back at Borussia Dortmund. Throughout his time at Old Trafford he's rarely looked like a £70m player.
But like so many on the books his wages and the price demands make his exit particularly difficult. Juventus are among those to be linked as are Napoli, but none will be paying £25m plus £350k-a-week. The fee United could get, but they're likely going to need to negotiate a pay-off with Sancho to get him off the books.
Italy could also be the destination for Rasmus Hojlund, who has underwhelmed in his two years with the club. Despite his lack of goals Inter Milan are keen and could offer him a route out of the club, but United won't get anywhere near to recouping the £72m they spent to sign him.
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Garnacho decision
Once tipped as the future of the club, Garnacho has fallen down the pecking order. He's struggled to find a home in Amorim's system and his attitude hasn't endeared him to his manager. He reacted when left out of the team for the Europa League final and an exit now appears to suit all parties - with fans increasingly frustrated by some of his social media antics.
Of all the assets United are likely to sell the Argentine is perhaps the most valuable. He would command a hefty fee and Napoli have been linked. Now Chelsea have come to the party and a swap deal, maybe involving Christopher Nkunku, is a possibility. Wherever he goes Garnacho will either bring in a good amount of cash to re-invest or prove to be a tempting option in a swap.
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But the thing is, he's obviously talented, has huge potential, can score goals and is dynamic - things Amorim wants from his attackers. He was a regular for the Portuguese for much of last season, so could he still have a future in Manchester?
It's a decision that still needs to be made - from all sides.