Arsenal made multiple approaches for Bryan Mbeumo before Manchester United swooped in with a record bid that ended the chase and sealed the player’s preferred move.
When Bryan Mbeumo was unveiled as a Manchester United player on Monday, it marked the end of a long and quietly contested transfer saga that, behind the scenes, saw serious engagement from Arsenal.
The Cameroonian forward had been under close observation by Arsenal’s recruitment team for much of the past year. Far from a speculative link, the club viewed him as a priority addition capable of strengthening their attacking depth and easing the physical burden on Bukayo Saka.
Initial contact between Arsenal and Brentford took place in late spring.
Multiple enquiries were made, and discussions, though never advancing to formal bids, were had. Arsenal were convinced by Mbeumo’s profile: Premier League-proven, highly productive, and tactically versatile. He scored 20 goals and registered eight assists last season, and his ability to operate across the frontline, especially off the right, made him a good fit for Mikel Arteta’s system, offering the kind of unpredictable attacking spark often likened by some analysts to the shifting dynamics of a mystic fortune demo, where outcomes change rapidly but with clear underlying structure.
Internally, the thinking was clear. Arsenal needed a right-sided forward who could offer genuine rotation for Saka without compromising the team’s attacking threat. The club’s hierarchy explored several profiles across Europe, but Mbeumo’s Premier League pedigree, durability, and creative efficiency made him one of the few options they considered worth pursuing aggressively. They initially tried for a move in January.
They were not alone. Chelsea and Newcastle also expressed varying degrees of interest, but it was Manchester United who moved with the firmest intention.
Once Rúben Amorim approved the move, United accelerated negotiations, eventually agreeing a deal worth up to £71 million, including £65 million guaranteed and £6 million in performance-based add-ons.
That figure eclipses Brentford’s previous record sale of €42m for Ivan Toney.
Sources close to the situation suggest Arsenal were unwilling to match United’s financial terms, both in fee and salary. But even had they done so, Mbeumo’s preference was already leaning heavily towards Old Trafford.
“As soon as I knew there was a chance to join Manchester United, I had to take the opportunity to sign for the club of my dreams,” he told the media upon signing, “the team whose shirt I wore growing up.”
That sentiment ended any real hope Arsenal had of hijacking the deal. Once personal terms were agreed, Brentford accepted United’s improved offer, and the player was formally unveiled on 21 July.
Arsenal, for their part, never submitted a formal bid, choosing not to when it became clear that the player’s heart was set elsewhere.
In the end, Bryan Mbeumo made a personal choice based on the little boy inside himself, and Arsenal, having done the groundwork, walked away.