Man United's Pursuit of Bryan Mbeumo Hits Major Roadblocks - Here's What's Causing the Delay

Manchester United are said to be developing the "appropriate framework" for their transfer fee structure to adequately meet Brentford's demands in current talks for Bryan Mbeumo.

United's pursuit of Mbeumo has been ongoing throughout the summer window. Even after a disappointing end to the season under Ruben Amorim, the Cameroon winger is believed to have expressed his desire for a switch to Old Trafford above other potential destinations since early June.

Six weeks on, Mbeumo remains at Brentford. The west London side have no plans to facilitate an easy departure for United regarding their star attacker, particularly following a summer that has already witnessed the Bees losing their head coach, skipper and shot-stopper.

This holdup, which has reportedly left Mbeumo growing impatient, is understood to stem from the specifics of United's suggested payment structure. Fabrizio Romano reports that both clubs are negotiating "straightforward and complex performance clauses". There remains "confidence" at United that a deal can be reached, though "no significant progress" has occurred as of yet.

United's most recent bid for Mbeumo was said to total £62.5 million ($85.7 million), featuring £55 million ($75.5 million) guaranteed with an additional £7.5 million ($10.3 million) in performance-related bonuses. Similar to Arsenal's stalled discussions with Sporting CP regarding Viktor Gyökeres, Brentford apparently desire a larger upfront payment.

Mbeumo is set to become Brentford's record departure irrespective of the deal's ultimate terms, easily exceeding the £40 million ($53 million) the club earned from Ivan Toney's transfer to Al Ahli last summer. However, the efficiently managed London club doesn't urgently require selling Mbeumo during this window.

Nearly £30 million ($40.5 million) has been generated through the departures of Christian Nørgaard to Arsenal, Mark Flekken's transfer to Bayer Leverkusen and Tottenham Hotspur's expensive acquisition of Thomas Frank. Should Spurs proceed with their pursuit of Yoane Wissa, it would be extremely unlikely for Brentford to permit Mbeumo to also join the widespread departures.