Honestly, if you told a Manchester United fan three years ago that the club would drop over £70 million on a Brentford winger to save their season, they’d probably have laughed you out of the pub. But here we are in January 2026, and Bryan Mbeumo isn't just a squad player; he’s essentially become the heartbeat of a team that was, quite frankly, flatlining under the previous regime.
The deal went down in July 2025. It was a massive statement from INEOS, paying £65 million upfront with add-ons taking the total package to roughly £71 million. At the time, plenty of pundits called it "Premier League tax" at its finest. They were wrong.
The Michael Carrick Era and the Mbeumo Shift
Things move fast in football. Ruben Amorim, the man who personally pitched the United project to Mbeumo while the winger was on holiday in the summer of 2025, is already gone. A fallout with Sporting Director Jason Wilcox saw Amorim exit, and now Michael Carrick is holding the reins.
The interesting part? Carrick didn’t bench the "Amorim signings." Instead, he’s doubled down on them.
Just yesterday, on January 17, 2026, we saw the perfect example of why Mbeumo was worth every penny. Fresh back from the Africa Cup of Nations, Mbeumo stepped straight into the starting XI for the Manchester Derby. Most players would be gassed. He scored. United won 2-0. It was a statement victory that moved the club into fifth place and effectively avenged that embarrassing 3-0 loss at the Etihad back in September.
🔗 Read more: Texas vs Oklahoma Football Game: Why the Red River Rivalry is Getting Even Weirder
Breaking down the numbers
- Brentford Legacy: 242 appearances, 70 goals, and a mountain of woodwork hits that became a meme.
- The United Debut Season (2025/26): 8 goals across all competitions so far, with 7 of those coming in the Premier League.
- Market Value: Currently hovering around €75 million, which means United actually paid market value for once.
What makes him different from Antony or Sancho?
We have to talk about the elephant in the room. United has a history of buying right-wingers who eventually forget how to play football the moment they see the Stretford End.
Mbeumo is built differently. Literally. At Brentford, they called him a "tank" for a reason. He’s 171cm of pure power and low center of gravity. Unlike some of United's previous creative players, he doesn't go missing when the game gets physical. He relishes the duel.
One of the big misconceptions about Mbeumo at United was that he’d strictly be a touchline-hugging winger. But under both Amorim and now Carrick, he’s been operating as a "Right 10" or even a secondary striker. In the 4-4 draw against Bournemouth back in December, he was basically everywhere. He’s taking more shots than he ever did at Brentford, averaging about 2.6 per 90 minutes.
The AFCON Factor and the Return
Losing your best attacking threat for a month in the middle of winter is usually a death sentence for a Premier League top-four charge. When Mbeumo left for AFCON with Cameroon, United looked shaky. The attack felt predictable.
💡 You might also like: How to watch vikings game online free without the usual headache
His return this week has been a massive boost. Carrick’s decision to start him immediately against City—after only a couple of days of training—shows the level of trust there. He’s not just a "flair" player. He’s a tactical tool. He tracks back, he wins headers (despite his height), and he understands the defensive triggers that United have struggled with for years.
Is he the signing of the summer?
If you look at the other business United did in 2025, it was a heavy spend. Benjamin Sesko arrived from RB Leipzig and Matheus Cunha came in from Wolves. While Sesko has had his growing pains, Mbeumo hit the ground running.
Thomas Frank, his former boss at Brentford, actually said he wanted Tottenham to sign him because he's "perfect." Spurs’ loss was United’s gain. While the £71 million price tag felt steep in July, looking at the January 2026 market where average midfielders are going for £100 million (looking at you, Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleba rumors), Mbeumo looks like a steal.
What’s next for Mbeumo?
The goal now is Champions League qualification. Carrick has 17 games left in the season to make it happen. With Mbeumo back and fit, the "traditional front three" system United used against City looks like the way forward.
📖 Related: Liechtenstein National Football Team: Why Their Struggles are Different Than You Think
If you're watching United for the rest of the season, keep an eye on his positioning. He’s started to drift inside much more, allowing Amad Diallo to overlap or tuck into that right-wing-back hybrid role. It's a fluid system that finally makes sense of the talent in the squad.
Practical Takeaways for the Rest of the Season:
- Watch the Rotation: With Carrick favoring a front three, expect Mbeumo to stay on the right but interchange frequently with Sesko or Hojlund.
- Set Piece Duty: Mbeumo has taken over a lot of the indirect set-piece duties. His delivery is arguably the most consistent in the squad right now.
- Fitness Monitoring: He just played 90 minutes after an international tournament; his workload management over the next three weeks will be critical to avoid the "post-AFCON slump."
United finally bought a player who was already "Premier League proven" and at the peak of his powers, rather than a project. It’s a refreshing change of pace at Old Trafford.