Manchester United raided Brentford last summer to sign star forward Bryan Mbeumo in a £71million deal and the Red Devils could go back to the west London club to replicate that deal this summer, by signing Igor Thiago.
The Brazilian striker has been a revelation in the Premier League since arriving at the Gtech Community Stadium in 2024, signed almost as an Mbeumo replacement – not that they knew it back then.
Thiago joined in a club-record deal in February 2024, but did not arrive until the summer, only going on to line up eight times alongside the Cameroonian in the 2024/25 season.
Mbeumo And Thiago Could Be Back Together
But they could be brought back together this summer to link up much more regularly at Old Trafford, if reports from SportsBoom are to be believed.
United have already held discussions behind the scenes about signing the 24-year-old this summer and are primed to make an official move once the transfer window opens.
Thiago is the closest player to Erling Haaland in the Premier League top scorers list this season, bagging an impressive 17 goals in 26 league appearances. He is just five goals behind the Norwegian at the top of the charts.
United will run into a problem in trying to secure a deal for the Brazilian striker, however, given he only just signed a contract extension with the Bees.
Thiago put pen to paper on a five-year deal in 2024, but then extended that contract this week, by signing a new five-year contract, locking him down to the Gtech until 2031.
And that puts the ball in Brentford’s court when it comes to any transfer negotiations over the player.
Speaking just last month, Brentford boss Keith Andrews waxed lyrical about his frontman.
Keith Andrews Loves Igor Thiago
He said: “The recruitment team deserve a lot of praise for the type of players they bring in and personalities. It is really impressive. He is a really special person who has fitted into life very nicely. He has had to earn this path. He has earned his journey and grafted.
“He’s been sensational. The way he’s attacked the league, the way he’s affected the league, the way he’s developing his game – I think you can see that in the types of goals that he’s scoring now compared to earlier in the season.
“And it’s not just the goals, it’s his overall performance and the selfless way he plays the game. He’s not a centre-forward that just stays between two centre-backs and looks to poach goals.
“He’s all action. He leads the line, he runs the channels, he presses back, he’s amazing from set pieces. He’s a complete centre-forward.”
Manchester United Face Competition for Striker Signing
If Manchester United wanted to sign the striker, they will likely have to shell out a similar amount that they spent on Mbeumo. Brentford are understood to be demanding in the region of £71million to part with their star striker for a second summer in a row.
United will also run into competition when it comes to the 24-year-old’ signature. Chelsea and Arsenal in the Premier League are also thought to be in the running to sign the striker, while Aston Villa have also been linked.