Onana and Mbeumo are teammates in the Cameroon national team; goalkeeper said “we’ll see” whether he leaves United this summer
Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana is playing a part in the club’s summer recruitment efforts by personally encouraging Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo to make the move to Old Trafford.
Onana has already spoken to his Cameroon teammate and advised him to choose United as his next destination, according to Manchester Evening News. Before joining a new club, players often speak to close colleagues there to get the lay of the land.
The two internationals did not participate in Cameroon’s June friendlies, but they played together during the World Cup Qualifiers in March this year. As fellow countrymen they are in communication and Onana’s relationship with Mbeumo may ultimately prove useful amid interest from Tottenham Hotspur, whose new manager Thomas Frank coached the player at Brentford for five years.
Following Frank’s official departure from Brentford to take up the Tottenham role, Mbeumo said: “He’s done so much for me. He literally trusted me from the start.” The player also said that “he developed me as a human and a player so much”.
United have already brought in Matheus Cunha from Wolves and are looking to bring in a right-sided No 10 in Amorim’s 3-4-3 formation. Mbeumo has impressed in the same position with Brentford in the Premier League – ironically under Frank – and is seen as a prime candidate to take up the role at Old Trafford.
Should United miss out on Mbeumo, alternatives under consideration include Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo and Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze. After the latter’s impressive display in England’s otherwise uninspiring performance against Senegal, United legend Paul Scholes publicly urged the club to “just sign him”.
Meanwhile, Onana’s own future remains uncertain. The goalkeeper faced criticism for high-profile errors last season and there have been calls for the club to sign a new goalkeeper.
Responding to the situation, Onana said: “Will I leave? I don’t know, we’ll see!”
