Liverpool, Newcastle take action - Man United take the hit

Manchester United face a bleak summer.

While two direct competitors are “fighting” for Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike, the “Red Devils” are gradually being pushed aside - not only in the Ekitike deal but also at risk of losing long-term target Bryan Mbeumo.

Liverpool enters the game, Newcastle changes direction - Man United is in a difficult situation

Newcastle have been determined to keep Isak all week and have stepped up their pursuit of Ekitike - the Eintracht Frankfurt striker. However, their £69.5m offer was quickly rejected. Meanwhile, Liverpool have unexpectedly jumped into the race and agreed a six-year deal with Ekitike - worth up to £86m.

Result: Newcastle withdrew and immediately turned to another name - Brentford striker Yoane Wissa. And here, Man United unexpectedly became an "indirect victim" when the transfer plans, which were already struggling, became even more deadlocked.

Manchester United have been chasing Bryan Mbeumo since the start of the summer, and have so far had two bids rejected by Brentford. Their latest bid - in excess of £60m - has failed to convince the London club.

Mbeumo is an important target in coach Ruben Amorim's plan to build an attacking line. However, if Brentford let Wissa - Mbeumo's good partner - leave, they will hardly accept losing a second pillar in the same transfer window.

Mbeumo is yet to join Manchester United.

The prospect of Mbeumo being "kept at all costs" or his price skyrocketing is entirely possible, especially when Brentford has just lost captain Christian Norgaard to Arsenal, and head coach Thomas Frank has also moved to lead Tottenham.

The bitter thing is that Manchester United had also pursued Ekitike but failed. Now, when Liverpool jumped in and won the deal, the "Red Devils" not only lost the opportunity to have an alternative, but were also pushed into a passive position in the race to win Mbeumo - a vital target for the attack.

The Old Trafford club are said to have submitted a third offer to Brentford on July 17. However, Newcastle’s interest in Wissa could see Brentford “close the door” to any offers for Mbeumo, or only agree to sit at the negotiating table for a price in excess of £70 million.

Transfer market and the chain game

The transfer market is a game of dominoes - one deal can have a chain reaction. In this case, Man United are in the worst position. Failing to buy Ekitike, facing fierce competition for Mbeumo, and if Newcastle “steal” Wissa, Ruben Amorim’s entire plan to recruit the striker will have to be rewritten from scratch.

Liverpool were close to signing Isak.

Meanwhile, Brentford - who have already lost many important personnel - will certainly not let the squad fall apart further without receiving an undeniable price.

While Liverpool may be questioned over the £86m price tag for Ekitike - who remains a huge unknown and comes from a club renowned for their poor deals, such as Luka Jovic and Kolo Muani - they are still active in the market.

On the contrary, Man United currently lacks the speed to make decisions and is not in a strong enough position to impose their influence at the negotiating table. If they do not close Mbeumo quickly, they could lose it for nothing - while the transfer window is still long, but quality options are increasingly scarce.

Ruben Amorim and the club's board clearly need to act quickly. If they continue to let rivals dominate and cut in as they are now, the summer of 2025 could go down in history as one of Old Trafford's most disappointing transfer windows.

Source: https://znews.vn/liverpool-newcastle-ra-tay-man-united-lanh-don-post1569483.html