Ten Mbeumo alternatives for Man Utd features ex-Red Devil and… Marcus Rashford

Manchester United have agreed a £71m fee with Brentford for Bryan Mbeumo but once Sir Jim Ratcliffe remembers he ‘won’t be held ransom’ they will need to find an alternative.

After starting the bidding at £50m rising to £55m in early June and privately stressing the need to be patient, Manchester United have found an agreement with Brentford worth an initial £65m with £6m in add-ons.

It is exceptional work as ever from the recruitment team, who might soon get cold feet and need to look at some alternatives.

We took a look at FBRef for options across Europe’s top five leagues that have very similar characteristics to Mbeumo, which amusingly features one current Manchester United player they’re desperate to be rid of and one a club has just made a £40m profit on after signing him from United two years ago.

Alex Berenguer (Athletic Club)
Probably not the Athletic Club forward the fans would be dreaming of signing this summer, but if Barcelona and Arsenal can’t persuade Nico Williams to join them there’s not much hope for United. And they in turn are in absolutely no position to be sniffy about a 30-year-old winger who got more league goal contributions (14) last season than any of their players aside from Bruno Fernandes (18).

Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio)
There’s interest from Nottingham Forest in the Lazio captain as they prepare for inevitable defeat to Tottenham in the not-so-secret Morgan Gibbs-White release clause saga, and without the funds to build a squad which aligns with the fanciful INEOS strategy of developing young talent with significant sell-on value, moves for relatively inexpensive but experienced footballers like Zaccagni make a lot of sense. It’s a ploy that’s worked famously for Inter Milan.

Xavi Simons (RB Leipzig)
He’s a player we’re sure United would have been making a move for had they qualified for the Champions League – he would be ideal in the 3-4-3. As it stands, their Europa League vanquishers Tottenham are interested, as are Bayern Munich. Probably Bayern Munich then.

Anthony Gordon (Newcastle)
The supposed similarity between Gordon and their primary target should perhaps raise United alarms as to the suitability of Mbeumo to the inverted winger role as Gordon is a proper winger’s winger – paint on the soles of his boots and all that.

That said, we’re pretty sure Amorim wouldn’t turn down the opportunity to sign Gordon should he miraculously become an option.

Alex Iwobi (Everton)
He was low-key excellent last season, with his nine Premier League goals and six assists comfortably beating his best previous return of 11 goal contributions in 2018/2019 for Arsenal. Primed for a £20m late-window bid before Fulham ask for an added £20m in United tax.

Inaki Williams (Athletic Club)
Can’t be easy living in his brother’s shadow, though we’re guessing the £220,000 Inaki gets a week to play football eases the pain somewhat. He’s not about to leave a club in the Champions League and even United won’t fork out those wages.

Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
Just brilliant. Not just because United are doing everything in their power to get him out of the club but also because he was deemed unsuited to Amorim’s system in the short time he was playing for him.

And yes, we get the argument that Amorim has shown strength of character in showing ‘bad apples’ the door no matter their talent, but there won’t be a Red Devils fan out there not wondering – even briefly – whether a softer approach may have led to Rashford thriving at his boyhood club rather than at Aston Villa in the second half of last season and wherever he finds himself next term while United pay half his wages.

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Anthony Elanga (Newcastle)
We’re 99 per cent sure United would have rivalled Newcastle for Elanga’s £55m signing this summer had it not required an embarrassing climbdown after they sold him to Nottingham Forest for £15m two years ago.

A report emerged after his stunning goal against United in April that while ‘there was an appreciation at the club for his phenomenal physical talents’, the club let him go due to ‘reservations over how he would parlay those skills into breaking down stubborn defences’.

United do not now hold what we would suggest would have been the very same ‘reservations’ back then over a move for Mbeumo.

READ MORE: Is Anthony Elanga worth £55m? Only to Newcastle but that’s what matters

Justin Kluivert (Bournemouth)
He’s someone we could genuinely see United genuinely pivoting to if they miss out on Mbeumo. A 26-year-old who’s perfect for one of those roles behind the central striker, coming off the back of a standout season playing for a club not in European competition with no more than an outside chance of achieving that feat in the coming campaign. A prime candidate.

Cody Gakpo (Liverpool)
Bayern are supposedly keen and we’re currently at a point where we wouldn’t be particularly surprised by any forward either leaving or joining Liverpool. We would be surprised if any of them joined Manchester United.