Man Utd stunned as Brentford jack up asking price as 'considerable' gap widens

Manchester United have been left in a major quandary after a strong report claimed Brentford have dramatically hiked up their asking price for Bryan Mbeumo and with the ‘considerable gap’ that David Ornstein reported between the two clubs now having grown further, casting fresh doubts on whether the deal will actually go through.

The Red Devils have honed in on a deal for the stocky Bees forward, who scored a career best 20 goals last season, while adding a further nine assists from 42 games across all competitions. However, despite getting a deal done for the man they hope he can partner as one of two No.10s in Ruben Amorim’s set-up 46 days ago, in Matheus Cunha, the signing of Mbeumo has proved a long, drawn-out and hugely frustrating affair for Manchester United so far.

Indeed, with talks stretching back as far as back as the start of June, United appear no nearer towards the signing of the 25-year-old, having seen two offers rejected for the Cameroon international so far.

That second offer, understood to be worth a downpayment of £55m, rising to £62.5m with add-ons, was quickly batted out of hand by the Bees, who have been encouraged to hold out for a bigger fee in the wake of the £55m deal that took Anthony Elanga to Newcastle and the £60m Chelsea paid for Joao Pedro; two players that Brentford feel are inferior to Mbeumo.

Now, a new report in The Guardian has painted a very worrying update for United, amid their understanding that the south-west London side have now jacked up their asking price for the player to £70m (€81m, $94m).

And with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS intent on sticking by their own maximum £65m valuation, it’s suggested an agreement now looks more distant than ever between the clubs.

Despite that, journalist Jamie Jackson’s report states Ratcliffe believes a deal is still there to be done. The United minority shareholder is well aware that Mbeumo has told Brentford he wants to join the Red Devils this summer. And while the player has this week returned to training with Keith Andrews’ side, they will ultimately not want to hang on to an unhappy player.

Furthermore, with his deal expiring in under 12 months’ time – albeit the Bees do hold a 12-month option on that arrangement – Ratcliffe believes they will ultimately be forced to accept his sale and knowing his valuation could fall as a result.

However, the ‘considerable gap’ that Ornstein referred to in his update on Tuesday now looks like it has become something of a chasm, or, at very best, likely to result in an even longer waiting game.

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Mbeumo transfer: Man Utd still have ‘considerable gap’ to overcome

Ultimately, Ratcliffe is also well aware of his club’s historical failures at paying over-inflated fees for some of their stars; a financial surrender that has now placed United in something of a difficult situation owing to the many millions they still owe on existing deals.

But that determination not to be taken to the cleaners once again could ultimately cost them the chance to sign the 22-times capped Cameroon forward for good if the two parties fail to settle their differences and find common ground.

Discussing the situation on Tuesday, Ornstein explained in his piece for The Athletic: “The gap between Manchester United and Brentford on their valuation of Bryan Mbeumo remains considerable. The two sides are several million pounds apart.

“There have been no significant developments over the past couple of weeks, and a deal is still not imminent, but talks continue as United work to complete a move for the Cameroon forward.”

Indeed, Brentford’s director of football, Phil Giles, has previously spoken about the possibility of the player staying at the Gtech Stadium in the upcoming season.

“He had a fantastic season. We expected big interest in him, we have had big interest in him,” Giles stated.

“He has his ideas about where he wants to take his career. He is well within his rights to do that.

“It is not impossible he is still a Brentford player next season if we agree he is going to stay.”

He added: “If it’s not the right deal, why would we do it?

“He is certainly one of our best players, if not our best player, and we need our best players. There’s no harm in keeping your best players.”

Man Utd transfer latest: Nicolas Jackson chances rated; second Wolves star wanted

Meanwhile, two separate sources have confirmed United are exploring a move for Nicolas Jackson and Chelsea’s stance on selling the striker has emerged.

Elsewhere, United are reportedly set to go head-to-head with rivals Liverpool for the signature of an impressive Wolves midfielder, who is a confirmed target for another European giant, and with his asking price also coming to light.

On the outgoing front, Arne Slot’s side have been credited with an astonishing raid on United for one of their forwards, and could pivot towards a shock signing if they don’t land a first-choice transfer target.

A £70m player? Mbeumo’s Premier League stats last season

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