Whatever the decision on United’s striker dilemma, there can be little argument the addition of Mbeumo – alongside Cunha – strengthens their firepower.
Only Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, Newcastle’s Alexander Isak and Manchester City’s Erling Haaland scored more than his 20 Premier League goals last season.
It was, though, the first time he has reached double figures for a top-flight club, and his expected goals (xG) statistic of 12.3 – which he outperformed by 7.7 goals – is something that would be difficult to repeat.
In the past five Premier League seasons, just 14 players have overperformed their xG by five goals or more.
Sutton said: “He has done well at Brentford but playing for Manchester United is very different. With respect to Brentford, there is no great expectation there. At United, he will be expected to perform straight away.
“He has experience, he is a good finisher and his versatility is a big positive – he can play as a central striker as well as on the wing, cutting inside off the right on to his left foot.
“But he has had one very good season where his numbers were very good, so the question is whether he can repeat that.”
The Cameroon international is not being bought just for his goals, though.
Mbeumo prefers to play on the right behind a striker – with Cunha expected to feature on the left – but also has the versatility to play centrally, offering another solution to the striker problem.
He topped the list for touches per 90 minutes for players who scored more than 15 goals last season – showing his involvement in play – and ranks as one of the best ball carriers in the league, consistently with an effective end product.
He was 17th on the list of top assisters – with seven – but in expected assists he led the way in the Premier League with 9.3 xA.
Alongside Cunha’s creativity, that can only be good news for whoever is chosen to play the central striker role.
“Consistency in those forward positions is what United are striving for, because they have not had it with, say, Alejandro Garnacho or Antony,” said Sutton.
“They are maybe thinking an older, more experienced player, who is more reliable, is what they need. That’s Mbeumo – he fits into Ruben Amorim’s system and he fits the bill as proven Premier League quality too.
“Amorim wants a harmonious camp as well as a consistent performer, not someone who is a 3/10 one week and a 9/10 the next.
“That’s what Manchester United have really been lacking and the numbers Mbeumo provided could be really important. That is the part of the jigsaw they have got to really solve if they want to be challenging at the top end of the table.”
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