Manchester United have already moved on to their second major transfer target of the summer in Bryan Mbeumo but Brentford are sure to make things difficult.
Unlike the case of Matheus Cunha, who had a release clause in his contract, Bryan Mbeumo will have to be extracted from Brentford’s hands after negotiating a fee.
Brentford are famously tough negotiators, and Man Utd have already got a taste of that after seeing their first bid for Mbeumo rejected.
It has now been reported that there is an ‘important’ detail in Mbeumo’s transfer negotiations that could see the deal struck quickly.
Man Utd’s Bryan Mbeumo transfer negotiation
The deal for Mbeumo was never going to be straightforward, despite the forward impressing Ruben Amorim with his desire to come to Old Trafford.
The player has a year left on his contract but Brentford have a club option to extend it by a year, strengthening their negotiating position.
Moreover, Brentford selling Mark Flekken to Erik ten Hag’s Bayer Leverkusen has already seen them lose one part of their core squad, making Mbeumo’s transfer even more difficult.
Transfer insider Ben Jacobs is now reporting that the key detail pertaining to add-ons could be what accelerated the deal if United agree to Brentford’s demands.
He said: “There is also a sense that the add-ons are going to prove really important if a deal is to be struck quickly. #MUFC inclined to trigger extras with #UCL, but Brentford want simpler individual performance criteria. Talks to continue on Thursday.”
Man Utd’s stance on add-ons is understandable
Jacobs says that United are stressing add-ons to be based on the team’s success, which is understandable since their ability to make financial moves varies wildly depending upon whether they qualify for Europe or not.
At the same time, Brentford can’t be blamed for stressing individual criteria, since it’s none of their business how United do as long as the player they are selling does well.
A middle ground will need to be reached where some add-ons can be team-based while others are based upon Mbeumo’s personal achievements.
It is in the interest of both parties to do a deal quickly. United need Mbeumo to be with the team for the start of pre-season, while Brentford will want to reinvest the windfall early in the window instead of being held hostage late when everyone knows they have money in their hands.
This transfer increasingly looks like a matter of “when”, not “if”.
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