Has a breakthrough been made on Mbeumo?
Dharmesh Sheth: Discussions are continuing on Friday over Manchester United’s latest bid for Bryan Mbeumo. Brentford are yet to issue an official response after it was lodged on Thursday afternoon.
The new bid is £65m plus £5m in add-ons and United are waiting to hear whether it will be enough. Regardless, it is certainly a significant increase on the previous offer of £55m plus £7.5m.
United are hopeful it can be sorted in time for him to play some part in the club’s pre-season tour of the US. They fly out early next week ahead of their first game against West Ham on July 27.
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According to Lyall Thomas, Brentford are highly unlikely to sell both Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa this summer.
So it may be that United have acted when they have, in part, due to Newcastle intensifying interest in Wissa this week.
Do Barcelona actually want Rashford?
Dharmesh Sheth: Barcelona are yet to make a formal offer for Marcus Rashford but they are keen on doing a deal, and Rashford is also said to prefer a move to Barcelona.
The 27-year-old has returned to United’s training ground at Carrington, despite being offered extra time off, but he is training away from the first team, using medical and rehab facilities.
Sky in Germany report that Barcelona are expected to try and agree a deal and are prepared to go all in following failed attempts to sign Liverpool’s Luis Diaz and Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams (the latter recently signed a new deal).
Sky in Italy are reporting that Juventus are now making enquiries about Rashford, with doubts over the future of Dusan Vlahovic.
What is happening with other outgoings?
Dharmesh Sheth: Manchester United’s preference is for the permanent sales of five players they are prepared to let go – Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho, Antony and Tyrell Malacia.
However, loans are also being explored by interested clubs, although United would want a permanent element attached to any loan deals.
Furthermore, they will be creative with any loans they do; an example was Sancho’s spells at Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea. United ended up making a profit on Sancho’s wages when he was at Dortmund because of his individual success and the success of the team.
Put simply, United inserted an incentivised structure in place; the better he and Dortmund did, the bigger percentage Dortmund paid in wages. Reaching the Champions League Final in 2024 meant the percentage Dortmund paid actually exceeded 100 per cent.
With the Chelsea deal, an obligation was in place and a £5m penalty was inserted if Chelsea did not take up the obligation.
How much could United get for a Sancho sale?
Dharmesh Sheth: Juventus are pushing for Sancho. Talks are open between Juve, United and Sancho’s representatives as the Italian club look to have both Sancho and Porto’s Francisco Conceicao on the wings.
Juventus are currently finalising a permanent deal for Conceicao, who was on loan there last season, worth almost £28m (€32m) and paid in four instalments.
It is thought there would have to be departures at Juve to fund a move for Sancho, and both Timothy Weah and Nico Gonzalez could leave the club.
Marseille are in talks to sign Weah, who turned down Nottingham Forest earlier in the summer, while Atletico Madrid and Inter are both interested in the Argentina international Gonzalez.
Juve have been interested in Sancho throughout the summer window so far and United him at £25m
Can Real Betis strike a deal for Antony?
Dharmesh Sheth: Real Betis remain desperate to sign Antony. His short-term loan in Seville saw him score nine goals and set up five in 26 appearances for the club.
The player is understood to want to return to Betis; however, there is an understanding that it is a difficult deal to do given the finances involved.
Antony cost United £85m – their second most expensive player behind Paul Pogba at the time – when they signed him from Ajax in 2022.
