Of all the signings made by Manchester United in the recently concluded transfer window, Bryan Mbeumo was the one who was coming off his highest of highs.
It is not often that a 20-goal/season player in the Premier League directly joins another Premier League team, so Bryan Mbeumo’s signing was a coup for Man Utd.
Ruben Amorim’s men haven’t had the best start to their season, and even Bryan Mbeumo had to ramp up slowly after joining United late.
However, despite it being early in the season, it’s clear that he’s passing his biggest challenge at Old Trafford with flying colours.
Bryan Mbeumo is acing his Man Utd test
It is well known by this point that regardless of what the player has done before joining United, it counts for nothing once they join the club.
That is because the pressure and scrutiny that come with playing for United are not matched anywhere else, at least in the Premier League.
It is even more challenging for attackers, who can play as well as they like, but the raw stats need to prove output so they can avoid criticism.
For Mbeumo, that pressure was dialled up to 100 because he was coming off a season where he had scored 20 league goals.
His biggest challenge was simple. Can he replicate his goal output at a much bigger stage, and under much more pressure?
The team hasn’t started well, but Mbeumo has already scored twice across all competitions in four games.
United have won just one of those four, which brings all the more hope that Mbeumo, in a functional and confident team, could feasibly exceed that output, let alone replicate it.
Man Utd’s progress is tied to Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha
The biggest hole is in central midfield, and the biggest unknowns are at No. 9 and goalkeeper, while Diego Leon is a wild card.
It’s fair to say that Benjamin Sesko and Senne Lammens can increase the ceiling of Man Utd, but their floor will be decided by Matheus Cunha and Mbeumo.
The club’s progress is tied to whether the two Premier League proven stars can bring the form from their previous club, which prompted United to splash the cash.
If they do, then not only will it give much-needed breathing room to Sesko and Lammens, but also ensure United have a base to sell to potential signings next year.
The duo’s performance will be the difference between United being happy to finish in the top eight or the club going for a Champions League qualification battle.
Fortunately, both Cunha and Mbeumo have started like they are well aware of these stakes, and beginning well is half the battle.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
