Mbeumo is here - but how do the pieces fit together?
- Published
It has been Manchester United's target for some time to ensure Bryan Mbeumo was signed before they set off for Chicago and the start of their three-match Premier League Summer Series campaign.
They made it. But it was close.
United leave on Tuesday afternoon so they had less than 24 hours to spare before they were able to make an official announcement.
But now the £65m deal is done, we will start to get an indication of how head coach Ruben Amorim intends to piece his team together.
In theory, Matheus Cunha and Mbeumo will fill the two number 10 slots behind a main striker.
However, who occupies the two midfield slots behind?
Presumably Bruno Fernandes will be in one. The United skipper played there for 45 minutes in Saturday's goalless draw with Leeds United.
But neither Kobbie Mainoo nor Casemiro would appear to have the legs to operate alongside Fernandes and, even at £50m, there are doubts over Manuel Ugarte's quality.
And then there are the other players who could play in the number 10 slots. They include Fernandes and Mainoo but also Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount. What role is available for them?
And Amorim might not be finished in the transfer market just yet either, especially if he can unload unwanted quartet Alejandro Garnacho, Antony, Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia in the same way as is happening with Marcus Rashford.
Amorim has got what he wants in Cunha and Mbeumo. But that does not mean his problems have gone away.