Bryan Mbeumo on what Ruben Amorim has told him at Manchester United

'I clicked on that' - Bryan Mbeumo on what Ruben Amorim has told him at Manchester United

Samuel Luckhurst sits down with Bryan Mbeumo for his first press interview as a Man United player in Chicago.

Mbeumo travelled to Chicago with United last Tuesday

One of the most infamous transfer unveilings is of Alexis Sanchez playing 'Glory glory Man United' on the piano. Bryan Mbeumo is a self-taught pianist.

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Mbeumo will play in front of more than 70,000 at Old Trafford next month yet he is loath to tickle the ivories in the presence of others. "The thing is, I don't really like to play in front of people," he admits.

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So you can play football in front of nearly 80,000 fans but can't play the piano for friends? "It’s funny, but it’s so different. Even if I play in front of a couple of friends at home, I'm not exactly shaking but it’s ‘oh guys, this is kind of hard for me’.

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Mbeumo is holding court on the first floor of Manchester United's hotel in Chicago, the Waldorf Astoria. Wearing a black T-shirt and shorts, he is clutching a bottle of water that he takes regular sips from during the 13-minute interview.

At the Chicago Fire's Endeavor Health Performance Center earlier that morning, Mbeumo felt the heat. The 25-year-old has been doing extra sprints in recent days, attacking with the ball and then embarking on a recovery sprint into his own third. He also worked up a sweat in the hour-long on-pitch post-match session at the MetLife on Saturday night.

United head coach Ruben Amorim has suggested Mbeumo will play no part against Bournemouth in Chicago on Wednesday evening but could feature against Everton in Atlanta on Sunday. Mbeumo is aiming to be match-fit for the opening Premier League fixture against Arsenal on August 17.

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Mbeumo is playing catch-up as Brentford started pre-season training a week after United. Mbeumo reported on day one but it is understood he only did gym work to avoid the risk of injury amid his desire to join United.

Mbeumo's fitness would be more advanced but for his £71million protracted transfer. He spoke to the managers from two other clubs (presumably Thomas Frank at Tottenham Hotspur and Eddie Howe at Newcastle) but was set on United.

"Manchester is a big club. I think it’s a great opportunity and I chose the project," he explains. "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.

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"Of course, I spoke to some other managers because I wanted to hear their projects but the Manchester United one was very good for me. He (Amorim) said ‘we are people who like winning, and we want to be the best team’, and of course that's what we will try to do.

Mbeumo at the Waldorf Astoria (Image: Samuel Luckhurst)

"I think it was a very friendly conversation and a constructive one. He explained his project to me, what he wanted to do and I really clicked on that.

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"You want to play on the greatest stages in the world. And Old Trafford is one of them. So being able to play here every two weeks is just big."

United were unhappy with Brentford's conduct during negotiations, accusing them of attempting to railroad Mbeumo into joining Spurs or Newcastle and to reduce his salary expectations. Brentford tell a different side to the story.

Despite the posturing, the deal was always heading in the right direction even after Brentford rejected United's first two offers.

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Mbeumo trained after United beat West Ham in New Jersey

"I always trust my people around me," Mbeumo stresses. "The transfer windows can be long, it can be short. So you have to 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 and if it was going to happen, it was going to happen. I trust my people and I was convinced that it was going to happen."

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Mbeumo's role in Amorim's new XI has generated enough speculation to rival a transfer. He is a winger yet was the joint-fourth highest scorer in the Premier League last season, so one of the two playmaker roles could be his. He also refers to himself as a "striker".

So where will he play? "Not one specific position because I think now, in football, you have to be adaptable and be able to play in a few other positions than what you’d say is your best. But I think it's really good to gain experience.

Mbeumo scored against United in a 2021 friendly at Old Trafford

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"Obviously I’ve played as a winger mainly at Brentford but I don’t have one specific position where I feel I can do the best. But with Brentford I used to also play as a 10 in the pocket or even as a No 9. I can do all those positions.

"Of course, as a forward, as a striker, you always want to make an imprint in the game, helping people to score or scoring yourself. So I think this is something really important for me."

Tallying 20 league goals for Brentford was a monumental achievement. Half that tally would be a respectable return for Mbeumo in his maiden season at United but he is refusing to rein in expectations.

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"As a striker as well, for myself I always want to be better than I was yesterday," he says. "I’m very demanding of myself and I always try to do the best. I don’t like to put limits on myself as well."

Mbeumo completed his £71m transfer on July 21

Could he operate as the lone striker? "Whatever position the gaffer wants to put me out, I will play there."

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A lone king, perhaps. As well as a pianist, Mbeumo is also a chess fanatic. "Chess, even if it's not physical, there is a lot of thought. When you play football you have to think as well. Playing chess you can see some moves ahead because it is a strategy game. In football you have your strategy as well so you can link them together."

How good is he? "I’m not that crazy good. But if you know the rating, I'm like 800 on chess.com. Playing online is anonymous. I have a user name, you choose a nickname and just play against random people online. And I use my own chess board against them.

Mbeumo could play against Everton on Sunday

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"There was a period where I was really, really into it. I was watching videos on YouTube doing training on the app. I think even for the brain, it's really, really good. And you can develop new skills.

"Obviously, you're doing football most of the time, every day, so you sometimes don't really have time to develop other skills. I like creativity and stuff.

"I watched The Queen’s Gambit (on Netflix). It was really good. I’ve not watched the Magnus Carlsen thing yet. Maybe I should. I’ve been told that Josh (Zirkzee) plays, so I might need to play against him and bring in the chess board."

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Mbeumo could have an audience for that, if not the piano-playing. He is still likely to play more fluently than Sanchez.

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