Bryan Mbeumo, be careful what you wish for! Man Utd move makes no footballing sense - but reunion with Thomas Frank at Tottenham would be perfect fit

Part of the reason why teams such as Brentford, Brighton and Bournemouth have thrived in the Premier League is because they are totally aware of their place in the pecking order. If they sign a young player with potential, they won't hold them to ransom if a more prestigious club comes calling. This summer alone, the Cherries have already sold a starlet in Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid, while Milos Kerkez will head to Liverpool and Illya Zabarnyi is in talks with Paris Saint-Germain.

The Bees are always willing to do business on their terms, though have rarely been prohibitive when setting an asking price for their most prized assets. Ollie Watkins' £30 million move to Aston Villa in 2020 was a club-record for both sides at the time, even if it seems like a bargain nowadays. David Raya cost Arsenal £30m all in and Ivan Toney close to £40m one year later when both only had 12 months remaining on their contracts. Mbeumo, with two years left to run on his deal, is fairly priced at £60m off the back of a season where only Mohamed Salah, Alexander Isak and Erling Haaland outscored him in the Premier League. That's a steal in the 2025 market.

The left-footed right winger is a position that can unlock attacks. That ability to open the game up coming inside from that flank and provide symmetry with a left winger, of whom there are plenty of in world football, has become crucial.

It's the kind of balance that was missing from Real Madrid last season, leading them to the signing of Argentine youngster Franco Mastantuono with the promise of immediate minutes. It's why Chelsea are hoarding plenty of those profiles, with Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke, Pedro Neto and Estevao Willian all on the Blues' books. In this case, it's why Arsenal wanted Mbeumo as versatile cover for Bukayo Saka, and why Newcastle saw him as the perfect third prong of their attack next to Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon.

Tottenham do not have a player of Mbeumo's ilk on their books, with the closest resembling him, Dejan Kulusevski, now seemingly a central midfielder full time. United, on the other hand, do in the form of Amad Diallo, who was by far and away their best performer alongside Bruno Fernandes until an injury in February kept him out for three months. Occasionally, Amad has started at right wing-back in Ruben Amorim's 3-4-3, but playing both the Ivorian and Mbeumo in the same team would make the Red Devils incredibly narrow and predictable. The 25-year-old ought then to be seeking assurances over United's plan.

Heading to Tottenham would be the lowest-risk move possible for Mbeumo. The starting XI is in need of a multifaceted attacker like him, and the man in the dugout knows him better than any other coach in the world.

Frank was involved in the recruitment process that led to Mbeumo signing for Brentford from Ligue 2 side Troyes back in 2019, a time where the Bees relied quite heavily on scouting in France and made the most of easy connections to the country from London. Having just lost 25-goal Neal Maupay to Brighton for £20m and with Watkins experimented with as their new striker, a 20-year-old Mbeumo had to hit the ground running. He certainly did, bagging 15 in his first Championship season.

It took a couple of seasons for Mbeumo to raise his game at Premier League level upon promotion in 2021, though part of that was down to a lack of luck, hitting the woodwork a league-leading seven times during his first season in the top flight while only scoring four times. When Brentford turned into European contenders the following campaign, that's when the goals started to flow a little easier, improving his tally to nine, which he also ended 2023-24 with despite playing 13 fewer games. The path to his 20-goal 2024-25 season was more obvious to those watching more closely, not least of all Frank.

Through the history of football, you'll find players who are at the centre of a team and a squad for their intangibles. You'll hear buzzwords like 'culture' and 'ethic' and may roll your eyes, but it's not a coincidence that even the best of managers lean on those figures.

Frank repeatedly stressed that his Brentford implemented a 'no d*ckheads' policy, claiming that it would have been to the detriment of the dressing room. His Spurs predecessor, Ange Postecoglou, wasn't quite as profane about such an approach, but it existed within the club's walls all the same thanks to him.

Mbeumo wasn't merely not a 'd*ckhead', but also a shining example. Coming from someone who covered Brentford extensively during their first few years in the Premier League, there were countless times where Frank championed the Cameroonian as their hardest worker, as someone who didn't get anywhere near enough credit for his selflessness and silent leadership.

Now, this actually sounds like the sort of character that United should be biting the proverbial hand off to come into their own dressing room, but it's at Spurs where the transition would be more seamless and with less adversity.

United will always be a draw for players, even when they're at their lowest ebb. They still pay top wages, still have the allure of history and can always spin that they will be back.

For so many players of Mbeumo's generation, they would have grown up with United as the dominant powerhouse of English football and one of the biggest clubs in the world. Representing them would be the pinnacle of their career, and having spent six years at a team of much lower profile in Brentford, you don't have to be a genius to figure out the motives even beyond money.

There's also been a little birdie by the name of Andre Onana, a team-mate with Cameroon, in Mbeumo's ear. United are said to use international camps to help with their recruitment of future signings, while the club are not fearing a hijack from Spurs at this point.

If the extremely underperforming Onana is the one doing the pitching to Mbeumo, however, that should represent the first of many, many red flags. United are a far cry from the superpower they once were. What were previously considered poor seasons, such as 2018-19 and 2021-22 when they missed out on Champions League qualification, have been blown out of the water by the unmitigated disaster of 2024-25.

A record-low finish of 15th in the Premier League wasn't enough, as they also were beaten by Tottenham in the Europa League final. All of the talk before that fateful loss in Bilbao centred on how the Red Devils had the big-club mentality to shove Spurs aside, but the match certainly didn't play out that way, with Postecoglou's side nicking a goal and shutting up shop with little fuss.

The Glazers' negligent ownership lasting two decades has finally caught up to them, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS' involvement only worsening the club's image to the public. United is not a happy place for any sort of staff, from playing to backroom to day-to-day. There's no guarantee another summer transfer window will improve fortunes, because that's the party line that's been toed from the point of Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement and all the club have done since is stick the gearstick in reverse. Excitement in June and July hasn't tended to translate to happiness the following May.

Crucially, Mbeumo's mind may already be made up. Over the weekend, he was stopped by the Sky Sports cameras during a trip to Formula One's Canadian Grand Prix, where he was asked about Frank's impact on his career and appointment at Tottenham.

"He has done so much for me. He literally trusted me from the start. I think he developed the team so well. He developed me as a human and a player as well. So I can only wish him all the best, and I'm sure he’s going to do well. I think he knows everything. He's really smart. He knows where he wants to bring the team, how he wants to play. I think he's been fantastic for Brentford."

A touching tribute, but not one that makes you think he'll be following the Dane to north London. Even if Spurs are willing to pay a higher price than United, it will mean nothing without Mbeumo's signature on the dotted line.

That will come down to the choice of the man himself. Heading to United would perhaps by the pinnacle of Mbeumo's career and life, but would require even further hard work to help turn the club around again. Tottenham are in a better position to succeed immediately, and would be even better off if Frank had his most trusted on-pitch ally following him from Brentford.