Ineos’ interest in Bryan Mbeumo has now stretched well past a month, even though the player made it clear early on that he wanted to join Manchester United.
Back in June, the club’s summer business looked like it could get off to a flying start. Matheus Cunha quickly arrived, and a move for Mbeumo seemed like it wouldn’t be far behind, even after the first bid was turned down.
Despite that initial setback, Mbeumo remained keen on the switch – but Ineos waited weeks before coming back, and we’re still waiting for a third and final offer to get the deal over the line.
The intention was to have Mbeumo in place for Ruben Amorim’s first pre-season session on July 7th, but with time running out, there’s growing frustration over how long the deal is dragging on. That’s led some to question whether it’s even worth sticking with Mbeumo, given how firm Brentford have been in negotiations.
If United do decide to walk away, the club appear to have already lined up a new target.
Igor Paixao draws attention as ‘plan B’ for Bryan Mbeumo
Even though a third bid for Mbeumo is still expected, there’s no guarantee that the deal will go ahead, especially if Brentford don’t budge on their asking price.
If that happens, United would have to look elsewhere – and Feyenoord’s Igor Paixao seems to be emerging as a serious option.
The 25-year-old forward is coming off a remarkable season, racking up 18 goals and 14 assists across all competitions, including two goals and four assists in the Champions League.
His creativity stands out as well. Paixao averaged 5.08 chances created per 90 minutes last season, a level of output that’s rare across the top European leagues. But despite all the positives, there’s an £86m reason for caution.
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Lack of top 5 leagues experience, plus Antony’s controversial deal, put Man United off Paixao
Even at a £34m price tag, some at United might be wary of bringing in another attacking talent from the Eredivisie after the £86m paid for Antony.
Paixao, like Antony, is Brazilian and has made his name playing in the Dutch league. Despite being described as a “hidden gem” by Guillem Balague after his display against AC Milan, those parallels may give United pause.
Under Ineos, there’s a clear preference to target players with proven experience in the Premier League. For now, it seems unlikely that they would take a gamble on a player with Paixao’s profile, despite his talent.
But of course he could well be just what United need, but what this goes to show is how difficult the job still is for the recruitment team to get the club back at the top.
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