Man Utd's answer to Mohamed Salah? Brentford talisman Bryan Mbeumo could be the transformational signing Ruben Amorim so desperately needs

Mbeumo has spent the last six years of his career at Brentford, who snapped him up from French outfit Troyes in 2019 for a then-club record fee of £6 million. Within two seasons, the Cameroonian ace had helped the Bees win promotion to English football's top flight for the first time in 74 years, and he has since established himself as one of the most consistent performers in the Premier League.

The 25-year-old has recorded 67 goal involvements in the competition to date from 133 appearances - a splendid return considering Brentford have yet to finish higher than ninth. That could change this term, though, with qualification for the Conference League a genuine possibility for Thomas Frank's side as they sit just a point behind eighth-placed Bournemouth with three games to go.

That's in no small part because Mbeumo is in the best form of his entire career. The Troyes academy graduate is up to 18 goals, already double his best tally in the Premier League, and has also laid on six assists, having taken up the mantle as Brentford's leading man in the wake of Ivan Toney's departure to the Saudi Pro League last summer.

Mbeumo's stellar work for Brentford somewhat went under the radar in previous years, but he is finally starting to get the attention he deserves. According to the Telegraph, the Cameroon international is 'high on United's list of potential targets' as Amorim plots his squad overhaul, with Brentford set to demand around £60 million ($80m) for their most prized asset.

One or two sales will be necessary before any formal offer is made for Mbeumo due to the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules, and the pair most likely to be shown the door are Marcus Rashford and Antony. Both men are expected to seek permanent transfers after impressing on loan at Aston Villa and Real Betis, respectively, in the second half of the season.

Mbeumo would certainly be a huge upgrade on Antony as a right-sided forward who has proven he has the physicality and technical ability to thrive in the Premier League. It feels like now is the time for Mbeumo to spread his wings, too, as Brentford team-mate Christian Norgaard has conceded.

"I think Bryan is likely to go," Norgaard told Sky Sports this week. "I don't know about [Yoanne] Wissa yet. Everyone hopes that he might stay. Either way, I'm happy for the season and am happy for both of them. They deserve it so much."

DR Congo striker Wissa has matched Mbeumo's tally for goals this term after seamlessly stepping into Toney's boots, and Frank recently talked up the "magic relationship" between Wissa and Mbeumo, which has lifted Brentford to a new level, telling Stadium Astro: "They love each other, they definitely act like that. They are so energetic, smiling, two players [who are] coming every day, and working very hard individually to try and push and get better."

But Frank has also made it clear which of the Brentford stars has a higher ceiling. "He has added another layer this year, plus he’s still created chances," the Dane said of Mbeumo in the first half of the campaign. "For me, he’s a top player. I am convinced one day he will play for a bigger club. I’d buy him if I was a bigger club."

After scoring in a 4-2 win over Newcastle in December, Mbeumo was even described as a "mini-Salah" by ex-Chelsea defender-turned-talkSPORT presenter Jason Cundy, and there are few bigger compliments than that. He was also tipped as Salah's potential successor at Liverpool before the Egyptian penned a new contract in April, but the door is now open for United.

Mbeumo is certainly a match-winner in the same mould as Salah; a quick, intelligent winger who is adept at finding space in behind enemy lines and possesses a deadly left foot. Brentford's opponents are often left in panic stations whenever Mbeumo cuts in from the right, and he is capable of bringing a clinical edge to United that has been sorely lacking for years.

That being said, Mbeumo wouldn't be occupying quite the same position for United as he does now at Brentford. He's being touted for one of the two No.10 slots in Amorim's line up, with Amad Diallo still providing the width as right-wing back.

Along with club captain Bruno Fernandes, Amad has been the only United player to rise above their collective struggles and make his mark in 2024-25, registering 18 goal contributions in all competitions, including a stunning hat-trick against Southampton at Old Trafford. It would, therefore, make no sense to drop the 22-year-old to accommodate Mbeumo - but they could interchange during United's build-up play.

On the ball, one will look to run in behind and deliver into the box while the other takes up a central position. Mbeumo's presence can also ease the pressure on Amad to always be United's main outlet and help ensure he is not caught out defensively when possession is turned over.

To make best use of Mbeumo, though, United will also need to sign a new centre-forward, because it's obvious that Rasmus Hojlund is just not up to the job. As we've seen with Wissa at Brentford, Mbeumo is at his best when he has a quality target man to bounce off of.

However, that's easier said than done, with competition for the best strikers set to be fierce this summer. The likes of Victor Osimhen, Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyokeres and Liam Delap will all have more attractive options on the table than joining a United side right at the start of a new project.

Amorim is probably aware of that, which is why the Red Devils are also said to be in for Matheus Cunha. The Wolves star is another player who likes to receive the ball in the half spaces and attack his marker, but he had to adapt to lead the line at Molineux last season, and did so brilliantly. If United ask him to, Cunha can hold the ball up and play on the shoulder of the last defender, potentially forming a lethal partnership with Mbeumo in the process.

There is another obvious advantage to signingMbeumo - who is also versatile enough to play through the middle - and Cunha rather than just one No.9, which is that Amorim would have more scope to experiment. Adding those two to a frontline already boasting Fernandes, Alejandro Garnacho and Amad would give United real firepower and potentially leave opposing teams flummoxed when trying to come up with a game plan.

Mbeumo is a Premier League-proven powerhouse with the potential to get even better as he enters his prime. Securing his services would represent a big step in the right direction for United after a decade of costly transfer missteps, and it should be simple enough to negotiate a deal with Brentford.

"I know that Bryan is very happy being here at Brentford, he's thriving, doing well and playing fantastic. What happens in the future? I don't know. I've said many times: we are a selling club," Frank said to Sky Sports last week. "But at the same time we have to reinforce that there are 10 clubs in the world who aren't selling clubs. So, of course, if the right price - and that's going to be expensive - is coming, then I'm sure the club will be open for it."

This could be Brentford's last opportunity to cash in on Mbeumo with his contract due to expire in 2026, and United cannot afford to be caught on their heels amid reported rival interest from Newcastle as £60m is a bargain price for a player who has all the attributes to inject some life into Amorim's sluggish attack.

Mbeumo guarantees goals, creativity and intensity, plus a winners' mindset that is the staple of any successful United star. The only question is whether the Brentford hot shot can handle the pressure of playing for one of the world's biggest clubs. For a change, United will be taking a calculated risk should they give Mbeumo the platform to answer it.