Manchester United have submitted an opening bid to sign Bryan Mbeumo worth a total of £55million. United are looking to make the Brentford forward their second addition of the summer transfer window having already paid £62.5m to bring Matheus Cunha in from Wolves. United are looking to revolutionise a forward line that scored a mere 44 goals in 38 Premier League games in the season just finished. Crucially, Mbeumo is keen to join United which means INEOS already have an important approval in place to get the deal done.

Because of that, personal terms should be a formality once a transfer fee has been agreed. The Cameroon international supplied 20 goals and seven assists in 38 league appearances for the 10th-placed Bees. And he's eager to move to Old Trafford if a fee can be agreed, in spite of the fact Ruben Amorim endured a difficult first season in Manchester which ended with United a lowly 15th in the top-flight table while they lost the Europa League final to Tottenham. Newcastle and Tottenham were among the other clubs credited with an interest but Mbeumo only wants United.

The Athletic  say United's opening offer consisted of a £45m up-front fee with a further £10m in add-ons. This proposal has not been formally rejected but Brentford are understood to be holding out for at least £60m as they use the Cunha fee as a benchmark.

The versatile Mbeumo, 25, is entering the final 12 months of his Brentford contract but the Bees have an option to extend the agreement by a further 12 months so remain relaxed about the situation. Fabrizio Romano claims it will take a fee nearer to £70m for Amorim to get his man.

Brentford manager Thomas Frank has publicly conceded that Mbeumo can leave the Gtech Community Stadium this summer but only if the price right, warning any interested suitors on Sky Sports: "That's going to be expensive."

The Red Devils had also sought to sign Liam Delap from Ipswich for just £30m but the striker has left the relegated Tractor Boys to join Chelsea instead. Amorim wants to overhaul his attack and could sell all of Rasmus Hojlund, Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford, Antony and Jadon Sancho over the summer break.

Part of Mbeumo's appeal is that he can play centrally as well as out wide. It is expected he will be brought in to play as one of the No.10s behind a striker in Amorim's 3-4-2-1 system, with Cunha in the other role supporting the centre-forward.

The arrival of Mbeumo has already been warmly welcomed by United legend and Sky Sports expert Gary Neville. He said: "Cunha and Mbeumo have obviously got Premier League experience. They’ve got plenty of games under their belt. [English football] is not new to them and actually they are the right type.

"When I watch Manchester United wide players, they have to be able to get from box-to-box quickly. They have to be able to run, to travel with and without the ball. Mbeumo and Cunha can do that. They can both run forward with real intent and purpose.

"A couple of two or three players who are going to leave, they are more 'jinkers'. Players who, to be fair, play in smaller spaces. For anybody who has played at Old Trafford, although the size of the pitch may in terms of metrics not be bigger, it just seems like a big pitch to play on. The width is important."

Should a deal get done, Mbeumo will leave Brentford having managed 42 goals and 28 assists in 136 Premier League appearances.