Bryan Mbeumo has had an excellent first season at Man Utd and one of his teammates has explained what makes him such an impressive player.

Matheus Cunha has backed Bryan Mbeumo as just the kind of striker Manchester United “need to have” after praising the impact his fellow summer signing has had at Old Trafford.

Mbeumo has been leading the line since the arrival of Michael Carrick as head coach last month and he has scored against Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham in that run, although he is facing competition from the in-form Benjamin Sesko, who has had an impact off the bench.

A £65million summer arrival from Brentford, Mbeumo played as a No. 10 under Ruben Amorim and can also play on the right wing, with his versatility a bonus for United and part of the reason they pushed so hard to sign him.

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He has delivered 10 goals and two assists in his 22 appearances so far and has been one of United’s standout players so far this season, with Cunha raving about his intelligence on the pitch and his quality in attack.

“He’s very intelligent, he’s very clever,” Cunha told Premier League Productions. “So he can use his strength very, very good, like going to space, he shoots so well, so good. This is the kind of number nine we need to have.

“Of course, he’s someone that helped us so much and it’s a pleasure to play with him. He’s more than the position that he plays. Being around him in the pitch, we know he can create something special.”

Cunha also signed for United last summer, joining from Wolves for £62.5million, and having both taken a step up in the Premier League they are determined to play their part in bringing success to Old Trafford.

“A lot of energy. What a lovely guy,” Cunha said of Mbeumo. “I’m around him every day, he’s someone that is fun. I always play against him and we talk about the games that we played in the past, Brentford against Wolves.

“But to be together now and help United is something that when we arrive here, we feel like, wow, we can be a small part of the success of the team. It’s something that is a challenge that is everything to us.

“He’s so shy, he doesn’t speak much, but I speak French and I always speak with him He’s the kind of guy that, like I say, he’s special, I love to be around him and talking about the game, the life. Honestly, he finishes very well.

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“Every training, after training, we stay to do finishing, so it’s always a good competition to have him, Bruno [Fernandes], Ben [Sesko], Josh [Zirkzee], everyone around the team. I feel like we are starting to reach our level.”

Mbeumo scored 20 goals in his final season with Brentford and when Thomas Frank left the Bees to take over at Tottenham, he tried to hijack United’s move for the Cameroon international.

But Mbeumo had his heart set on a move to Old Trafford and Cunha has rejected the idea that his fellow summer signing is underrated.

“For me, he’s never an underrated player because I put him so high,” he said. “He gives me the expectation that I know he can do. I know what I see, I know what he does and to be around him is special. He’s such a good guy. So I can never say he is underrated.”