Relaxing in the swanky Waldorf Astoria hotel on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile in his new training kit, Bryan Mbeumo looks every inch a Manchester United player.
He has yet to make his debut for the club, but that could come in the final game of United’s US tour against Everton in Atlanta this weekend.
In the meantime, Mbeumo continues to play catch-up in his pre-season preparation, often working with United’s younger players and focusing on sprint work at Chicago Fire‘s impressive training facility a few miles from United’s downtown base.
There were times this summer when a place in Ruben Amorim‘s squad seemed far from guaranteed for Mbeumo, however. When United and Brentford haggled for weeks on end over his transfer fee, and his old boss Thomas Frank tried to sign him for Tottenham.
The boyhood United fan made it clear there was only one club he wanted, and stayed in touch with his Cameroon team-mate Andre Onana, the United goalkeeper.
A deal worth a total of £71million was eventually struck but United accused Brentford of trying to push Mbeumo towards Spurs, and Brentford blamed United for trying to lowball them with two unsuccessful opening offers.
All the while, the 25-year-old kept his cool on holiday and then asked to stick to gym work on his return to the West London club, which explains why he is still behind in his fitness programme.
‘I trust my people and I was convinced that it was going to happen,’ says Mbeumo. ‘I always trust my people around me. The transfer window can be long, it can be short, so you have be patient and just try to keep thinking positively about things.
‘I was obviously on my holidays so I just wanted to think about resting mentally and physically. If it was going to happen, it was going to happen.
‘I think I’m someone who likes a challenge. There is a very good project in Manchester, and I wanted to be part of it.
‘You want to play on the greatest stages in the world and Old Trafford is one of them. So being able to play there every two weeks is just big.
Credit: dailymail.co.uk
