Mbuemo Deal Edges Closer as Man Utd Finally Act – Thanks to Newcastle

Man Utd’s Mbuemo pursuit shows familiar failings

On the latest episode of The United Stand Podcast, Mark Goldbridge offered an excoriating breakdown of Manchester United’s pursuit of Brentford winger Bryan Mbuemo. After seven weeks of drawn-out negotiations, United have now submitted a third bid worth £65 million plus add-ons. The saga, as Goldbridge sees it, is emblematic of the club’s broader structural problems.

“We’ve spent seven weeks negotiating on a player saying we’re not going to overpay,” Goldbridge said. “And seven weeks because Newcastle were going to go for Wissa, and we would have missed out on Mbuemo. In seven minutes, we paid £65 million.”

The frustration among fans was palpable in the live chat and echoed throughout Goldbridge’s analysis. The sense was that United had once again wasted time only to end up paying the asking price anyway, as they had with deals for Harry Maguire and Jadon Sancho in previous years.

Newcastle’s interest forced Man Utd into action

Goldbridge credited Newcastle’s sudden move for Brentford striker Yoane Wissa (referred to as “Whizzer”) as the primary catalyst behind United’s urgency. “If Newcastle hadn’t gone for Whizzer, we’d still be waiting weeks,” he said. “Big shout out to Newcastle because that move has really made us sh*t ourselves.”

That move, he argued, forced United’s hand. “We’ve had to make a quick decision,” he said. “There’s probably gone a call into Joel Glazer and Jim Radcliffe and they basically said, ‘Brentford are not going to sell him if Whizzer goes to Newcastle,’ so we either pay what they want or we don’t get Mbuemo.”

Goldbridge was candid about his bafflement. “I’m absolutely baffled how you can offer £55 million a month ago and then offer £65 million plus add-ons,” he admitted. “It’s basically Harry Maguire all over again.”

Fans split on value and negotiation strategy

Though Goldbridge expressed satisfaction with the signing itself, he criticised the method. “If we paid £65 million in the first week of June, then you’d sort of go, ‘Well, it’s a quick, efficient deal,’” he said. “But they’ve spent seven weeks telling us basically that they won’t pay it, they’re going to negotiate it down, and then they paid it anyway.”

Responding to fans defending the delay as a cost-saving tactic on wages, Goldbridge was scathing. “You’re actually sitting there thinking it’s a positive that we’ve saved £200 grand a week for seven weeks when he could have been in pre-season with us for a week and a half,” he said. “Look at what Liverpool do. Look what Arsenal do.”

Club faces mounting pressure despite deal nearing

While the Mbuemo deal is not yet officially completed, Goldbridge said it’s “expected to be accepted” and “matches Brentford’s demands.” However, he cautioned, “It’s not ‘here we go’ yet.” The potential collapse of the transfer still looms, however unlikely.

His wider criticism centred on Man Utd’s recruitment inefficiencies. “We’ve spent £127 million on Mbuemo and Cunha,” he said. “And we haven’t actually solved one of our two big priorities. No striker and goalkeeper.”

Despite this, Goldbridge saw Mbuemo as “a player that really does make us better,” adding, “He’s experienced, he’s not a learner driver.”

In closing, Goldbridge praised the Brentford winger again, while simultaneously urging change within the club’s hierarchy. “I would hope that Manchester United learn from that. In football, you have to make quick decisions. You can’t make slow decisions.”