Bryan Mbeumo is finally set to make his first appearance for Manchester United when they take on Everton in Atlanta on Saturday.
The Cameroon international joined United earlier this summer as part of a £130million recruitment drive that also saw Matheus Cunha arrive, but his debut has been delayed while he worked to catch up on fitness with the rest of the squad.
Brentford’s pre-season preparations began a week later than those of Ruben Amorim’s team, leaving Mbeumo slightly behind in match readiness.
Amorim has now confirmed that the wait to see the new signing in action is over. When asked ahead of the final match of the club’s three-game Premier League Summer Series if Mbeumo would be involved, he said: “He is going to play,” before adding: “I’m really excited to see him play and what he can give to our team.”
Summer of change
His introduction comes during a summer that has surprised many, particularly after minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe warned in March that United could have “gone bust by Christmas” without major cost-cutting.
Despite that sobering statement, the club has managed to invest heavily, thanks in part to Barcelona covering Marcus Rashford’s £325,000-a-week wages during his loan, additional funds raised through activated sell-on clauses, and payment structures agreed with Wolves and Brentford that have spread the cost of Cunha and Mbeumo’s arrivals.
Yet the big question around United’s transfer strategy remains at centre-forward.
For much of the summer, the club has been attempting to bring in Sesko, with sources on Friday insisting that their pursuit was still active.
However, reports emerging from the striker’s native Slovenia have since suggested that the 22-year-old has chosen Newcastle as his next destination, though neither club has publicly commented on these claims.
Issues still remain
Should United manage to sign Sesko after all, the club’s overall summer expenditure could push towards £200 million, but even with that addition there would still be areas of concern for Amorim to address, most notably between the posts.
The goalkeeping situation appears to have settled somewhat, with Andre Onana now expected to continue as United’s number one.
The Cameroon international was struck by a hamstring injury on just the second day of pre-season training and has been gradually rebuilding his fitness while with the squad in the United States.
It is thought that he will not be fit enough to face Everton, though there is hope that he could feature in the final friendly of the summer, against Fiorentina at Old Trafford on 9 August – a match that will also see the return of former United goalkeeper David de Gea in the opposition ranks.
Amorim was keen to praise the progress made by his goalkeepers, saying: “We are always looking to improve the team and we have some characteristics we would like to have. But it depends on the market and depends on sales,” before adding: “You can see the goalkeepers. Tom [Heaton] is leaner, Altay [Bayindir] did really well and [Andre] Onana is going to be better like the other guys that are getting better this year.”
