Man Utd in club-to-club talks to sign £50m star

It’s fair to say that things didn’t get off to the best start in a Manchester United shirt for Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, the 2025 arrivals both memorably missing their penalty attempts during that miserable night away at Grimsby Town.

There might well have been a fear that such woes were a sign of things to come, although both men, signed for £65m and £62.5m, respectively, can look back fondly on creditable first seasons at Old Trafford.

In Cunha’s case, the Brazilian came alive following an initial muted beginning, rounding things off with ten Premier League goals, including an array of stunning finishes under Michael Carrick, in particular.

As for Mbeumo, he did endure something of a post-AFCON rut, although it’s hard to overlook a campaign that saw him score away at Anfield and the Emirates, as well as the opener in Carrick’s first game in charge against Manchester City.

The Premier League-proven pair have settled in nicely and raised the level in Manchester, hopefully showcasing a sign of things to come under INEOS on the recruitment front.

Man Utd holding club-to-club talks over £50m deal

As was the case with the signings of both Cunha and Mbeumo, United appear to be favouring players currently operating in England’s top tier, albeit with the first move of the summer having been for Atalanta star, Ederson.

The continued midfield search is largely now centred around West Ham United’s Mateus Fernandes, with the Old Trafford hierarchy thrashing out a deal to try and poach the Portuguese from the relegated side.

As reported by Fabrizio Romano – speaking on his YouTube channel – United are “already in conversations” with the Hammers as they seek to try and negotiate a fee.

Those discussions have also thrown up something of a surprise too, with Romano outlining that club-to-club talks are taking place simultaneously regarding Fernandes’ colleague, Crysencio Summerville.

The Red Devils are said to have “asked about the situation and the price of the player”, amid the parallel Fernandes negotiations, albeit with Paris Saint-Germain also making an enquiry of their own.

In terms of a price tag, it was reported by The Athletic’s David Ornstein that the former Leeds United winger could fetch around £50m.

Man Utd could be set to repeat Cunha and Mbeumo signing

In all in 2024/25, Ruben Amorim’s side scored just 44 league goals amid their dismal 15th-place finish, with Bruno Fernandes and Amad top-scoring with just eight goals apiece.

To say there’s been a stark difference this time around would be an understatement, with Cunha, Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko netting 32 top-flight goals between them last season, each reaching double figures.

The last time three new signings achieved that feat for a Premier League team was Arsenal back in 2012/13, highlighting a job well done as far as INEOS’ recruitment is concerned.

Bringing Summerville into the fold could well be something of a repeat, the Dutchman having been a shining light amid a difficult season in east London.

He did only score five league goals in 2025/26, four of which came in the space of just four games in early 2026, although there is plenty there to be excited by, as he showed only recently for his country.

In the Netherlands’ 2-2 draw with Japan, the right-footer – operating off the right – cut in onto his supposedly weaker foot and curled the ball into the far corner, subsequently running to assistant coach Ruud van Nistelrooy to celebrate.

That very much felt like the type of finish that Cunha produced this season, most memorably rifling in from range to seal a stunning 3-2 win away at Arsenal back in January.

There is also a likeness there with regard to their ball-carrying prowess, with both men so adept at beating their man with a faint or piece of skill.

Summerville might rely more on speed than Cunha, although his average of 1.6 successful dribbles per game in the Premier League last season did just about eclipse the Brazilian’s return of 1.3 in that regard.

The West Ham man’s speed and knack for cutting inside perhaps mirrors Mbeumo more greatly too, the pair having first truly exploded in the Championship as well at Leeds and Brentford, respectively.

While Summerville did feature for the Yorkshire side in the Premier League in 2022/23, scoring four goals, it was the following campaign where he really came to the fore in the second tier, scoring 19 goals, registering nine assists and creating 17 ‘big chances’.

In Mbeumo’s case, the Cameroonian was central to the Bees’ own rise to the top tier, his final Championship season seeing the left-footer registering 18 goals and assists, while creating nine ‘big chances’.

Most importantly, like the current United pair, Summerville is a match-winner, a game-changer, the type of talent who can win a game on his own with a moment of magic.

He hasn’t shown it consistently enough as yet, it must be said, but for a fee of around £50m, this could be another astute INEOS deal on the cards.