Bryan Mbeumo leader of the pack programme feature | 11 December 2025

Mbeumo has been behind so much of the good that United have delivered in attacking areas. Impressively, he seems to have simply transported the form he demonstrated at Brentford to his new home. Since the start of last season, he has 26 Premier League goals. Only Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah have more.

United have, of course, signed many good players in the post-Ferguson era, some of whom soared at some of the biggest clubs in the world, but struggled in M16. Everyone knows that prior success means nothing here, but in just 16 appearances so far, Mbeumo has made the so-called ‘step up’ look a breeze, suggesting a real self-assurance.

We know well what Bryan can do on the pitch, where he’s displayed more versatility than a Swiss army knife: right-foot finishes, left-foot finishes, headers, crosses, corners, free-kicks, dribbles, quality movement, graft, guts. But it’s perhaps what Mbeumo possess inside that holds the key to his serene start to life at Old Trafford.

“People have come to Manchester United, huge names, and struggled with the pressure,” mused our former midfielder Owen Hargreaves, who was a pundit on TNT Sports for the Spurs game. “But he just sits there, super-calm, super-chilled.

“He reminds me a little bit of Mo Salah in and around the box. When he gets it, he has a clear picture of exactly what he wants, whether the finish is near post or back post. He almost shows no emotion. It’s just business in and around the box, and I love that. You can play into his feet, he can dribble… people have mentioned his touches and how sharp he is. Technically, I don’t think he gets enough credit. People talk about his goalscoring, and rightly so, but he’s an exceptional football player.”