Club sources say Brentford’s actions prolonged negotiations unnecessarily and created confusion around the player’s future
Manchester United officials have expressed their frustration with Brentford over how the transfer of Bryan Mbeumo was handled.
The 25-year-old finalised his move to Old Trafford on Monday after over a month of negotiations that saw three different bids put forward for his signature.
United are now understood to be unhappy with Brentford’s conduct during the talks. Club officials said that the London club kept shifting demands and encouraging Mbeumo to consider rival offers from Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United.
United believe Brentford’s actions prolonged negotiations unnecessarily and created confusion around the player’s future.
Brentford, on the other hand, say that United’s initial offer – £45m plus £10 million in potential add-ons – fell short of what they believed was Mbeumo’s market value.
They argue that they adjusted their asking price only after receiving interest from other clubs and were simply acting in their own best interests.
Brentford were also accused of having urged Mbeumo to accept a lower salary agreement so that United would be more willing to pay them more for him.
United believe the deal could have been concluded sooner had Brentford maintained a consistent position.
Despite the friction, an agreement was reached on Friday, with United to pay £65m up front and another £6m on add-ons.
The move makes Mbeumo the second major attacking signing under new manager Ruben Amorim, after Matheus Cunha was brought in this summer from Wolves for £62.5m. Cunha’s fee is much less than the £71m Brentford eventually demanded for Mbeumo even though they had initially said they wanted a fee in the region of what United paid for Cunha.
Mbeumo was part of the United squad that travelled to the United States on Tuesday for the club’s pre-season tour.
United are still in the market for a striker to complete a trio of attacking signings this summer.
