Manchester United have reportedly stepped up their efforts to recruit another Premier League attacker as they close in on the signing of Matheus Cunha.
It has recently been claimed that the Red Devils have agreed to pay Cunha’s £62.5m release clause in his Wolverhampton Wanderers contract and the forward has given the green light to move to Old Trafford.
Ruben Amorim is keen to reinforce his frontline as Man United have struggled in the final third throughout this season, scoring the fifth-fewest goals in the Premier League (42).
The Red Devils also failed to find the net in Wednesday’s disappointing 1-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final, a result which has confirmed that Amorim’s side will not compete in European competition next season.
Man United are still hopeful that they can attract players in the summer transfer window, with two Premier League attackers said to be high on their list of targets.
Man United step up interest in Semenyo, Mbeumo
According to former Man United chief scout Mick Brown, who spent over a decade at Old Trafford, Amorim’s side are pushing ahead with their efforts to sign Bournemouth‘s Antoine Semenyo and Brentford‘s Bryan Mbeumo.
Brown, who also worked as the chief scout at Blackburn Rovers and remains well-connected within the game, claims that Amorim is an admirer of both players who have emerged as top targets.
He has suggested that the Red Devils are unlikely to sign both Semenyo and Mbeumo this summer, though, and a decision will be made to prioritise one deal after initial talks.
Speaking to Football Insider, Brown said: “Semenyo and Mbeumo are both very much on Man United’s radar. They want to improve their attacking options even if they get a deal done for Cunha.
“Either one of them would be an improvement on what they’ve got at the moment. It’s the type of player United are having to look at, because the real elite players aren’t going to want to join them in the state they’re in.
Could Semenyo or Mbeumo join Man Utd this summer?
“That’s no disrespect to either Semenyo or Mbeumo, because they’re still top-class players. They’ll speak to both clubs, but eventually they have to make a decision.
“Once they’ve determined what the asking prices are going to be, whether they’ll be available and things like that, they’ll push ahead with one of them.”
Semenyo has been a standout performer for Bournemouth this season, recording nine goals and six assists in 36 Premier League games, and speculation over his future is growing now that the Cherries cannot qualify for Europe, as they sit 11th in the table and five points behind the top eight.
Mbeumo is another who has been linked with a host of Premier League clubs having excelled as one of Brentford’s star attackers this term, netting 19 goals and providing eight assists in 37 top-flight matches.
Brentford boss Thomas Frank recently opened the door to the possibility of £60m-rated Mbeumo leaving the club this summer, while Semenyo is thought to be valued by Bournemouth in the region of £50m.
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