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

Manchester United were a squad short connected goals past play - and they look wished to do thing astir it.

Having already spent £62.5m connected Brazil guardant Matheus Cunha, they are now chasing Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo.

After seeing a £45m bid rejected earlier successful June, they person gone backmost pinch an connection worth much than £60m.

If they are capable to get a woody complete nan line, what will nan Cameroon guardant bring to Old Trafford? BBC Sport takes a look.

Mbeumo scored 20 goals for Brentford past play - each successful nan league. Only Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, Newcastle's Alexander Isak and Manchester City's Erling Haaland scored much Premier League goals.

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

He netted 11 times successful each competitions for Ligue 2 Troyes successful 2018-19 and 16 goals for Brentford successful 2019-20 erstwhile they were successful nan Championship.

The Cameroon had a alternatively accordant haul successful his first 3 Premier League seasons – eight, 9 and 9 (in each competitions).

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

There will beryllium plentifulness of excitement among Man Utd fans though - particularly aft suffering their worst Premier League play past clip round.

Ruben Amorim's men vanished connected their lowest points tally, successful their lowest position, pinch their astir defeats successful a convention play and a record-low 44 goals.

That firepower is thing nan Portuguese head is moving quickly to address, pinch Cunha and Mbeumo.

Cunha scored 31 goals successful 76 games successful each competitions for Wolves aft joining from Atletico Madrid successful 2023, but United fans should beryllium wary astir expecting excessively overmuch successful beforehand of extremity from nan duo.

Cunha classed 3rd for outperforming his expected goals (15 goals from 8.6 xg) past play - pinch only Mbeumo and Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood signaling bigger differences.

Historically, that level of objective finishing has seldom proved repeatable.

In nan past 5 Premier League seasons, conscionable 14 players person overperformed their xG by astatine slightest 5 goals. The only subordinate to do truthful much than erstwhile is Tottenham's Son Heung-min, successful 2020-21 and 2021-22.

The Cameroon world is being bought for not conscionable his goals though.

Mbeumo prefers to play connected nan correct down a striker - pinch Cunha expected to characteristic connected nan near - but besides has nan versatility to play centrally.

He tops nan database for touches per 90 minutes for players who scored much than 15 goals, showing his engagement successful play, and ranks arsenic 1 of nan champion shot carriers successful nan convention - consistently pinch an effective extremity product.

He was 17th connected nan database of apical assisters – pinch 7 – but successful position of expected assists he was apical successful nan Premier League pinch 9.3 xA.

That intends he would person expected his team-mates to people much of his passes than they did. Salah, who had 18 assists, only had an xA of 9.1.

However he leaves a squad wherever nan unit was not connected him to people each nan goals - pinch Yoane Wissa besides bagging 19 successful nan Premier League. He joins a squad whose apical scorers successful nan convention netted 8 - Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo.

Amorim said often capable past play astir United's nonaccomplishment to make nan astir of their opportunities.

They request to people overmuch much than nan paltry 44 convention goals they managed past season.

Mbeumo's presence should thief reside that shortfall but, arsenic pinch Cunha, nan Cameroon guardant will connection much than that.

He has nan powerfulness and spot to transportation nan shot forward. Too galore of United's attacking players are nan nippy variety, who find it easier to run successful mini spaces.

The mentation is Mbeumo, allied pinch Cunha, and a beardown number 9 who tin play pinch his backmost to extremity and clasp nan shot up effectively, tin unit nan guidance back, creating greater extent to nan game, much abstraction for United to play successful and greater opportunities.

United are trying to mitigate their recruitment scheme going incorrect antecedently by bringing successful players who are utilized to nan Premier League and don't require settling-in time, which, aft really past play ended, is successful short supply.

Mbeumo cannot beryllium nan extremity of nan reshaping of Amorim's squad - and nan erstwhile Sporting leader said astatine nan extremity of past season, it mightiness return a fewer transportation windows to get what he wants.

But it does look United will beryllium a bigger extremity threat adjacent term. And from that, important betterment should come.

When Brentford snapped up an 18-year-old Mbeumo from Troyes successful 2019 for a past club-record interest of £5.8m, it is highly doubtful nan Bees would person thought they would beryllium making a £55m profit six years later.

After stepping retired of Ivan Toney's protector pursuing his departure to Saudi broadside Al-Ahli, Mbeumo put successful nan champion play of his profession to day past word - earning him a Premier League subordinate of nan twelvemonth information alongside nan likes of Salah, Isak and Virgil van Dijk.

The 25-year-old told BBC Sport Africa of his ambition to beryllium nan "best subordinate possible" and, aft netting 20 times successful nan Premier League past season, it seems he is good connected nan way.

"Every small point you tin adhd to what we do successful nan training crushed tin help," said Mbeumo, who employs individual trainers, physiotherapists, and a cook to navigator his meals astatine home.

"I tried to put everything astir my life to beryllium nan champion arsenic imaginable connected nan pitch."

Availability is cardinal successful top-level shot and team-mate Nathan Collins was nan only outfield subordinate to walk much minutes connected nan transportation than Mbeumo past campaign.

"Consistency is really important," Mbeumo said. "If you want to person large ambitions you request to execute nan full season.

"I deliberation I americium still improving each time I put a ft connected nan pitch. I ne'er put limits connected myself."