Manchester United have had their an opening bid of £55m for Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo rejected.
The offer was made up of a guaranteed £45m plus £10m in bonuses and it was expected to be turned down with Brentford valuing Mbeumo in excess of £60m.
The Bees are willing to listen to offers for the 25-year-old forward and Man Utd are in ongoing negotiations with the club over Mbeumo.
Sky Sports News reported that an approach was expected this week after United received encouragement that Mbeumo wants to move to Old Trafford.
Mbeumo is a player United have admired for a while and he is seen as a good fit for Ruben Amorim’s system.
There is a feeling at Brentford that Mbeumo has earned the chance to move to a bigger club this summer if one meets his valuation.
United have already agreed a deal to sign Matheus Cunha from Wolves for £62.5m.
The transfer is subject to visa and registration, which is expected to be formally completed once the Brazil forward returns from international duty.
What do the stats say?
Sky Sports Data Editor Adam Smith:
Bryan Mbeumo scored 20 goals in the Premier League last season to help Brentford secure a top-half finish – only three players scored more.
He also notched seven assists but should have registered more, clocking a league-topping 9.26 expected assists during the campaign – primarily from delivering a table-topping 202 crosses.
Additionally, only two players covered more distance or attempted more sprints for the season, making him one of the hardest grafters in the league. He also provides serious pace – clocking the fourth-fastest speed at 36.63 km/h.
Bryan Mbeumo excelled in the stats last season
Only Mohamed Salah collected more form points than Mbeumo last term, according to the Sky Sports Power Rankings.
Factoring in decisive goals or assists that changed the outcomes of games, his 27 goal contributions earned Brentford 22 points – equating to 40 per cent of the Bees’ season tally.
Sky Sports to show 215 live PL games from next season
From next season, Sky Sports’ Premier League coverage will increase from 128 matches to at least 215 games exclusively live.
And 80 per cent of all televised Premier League games next season are on Sky Sports.
