Hagreaves: Mbeumo knows what to do when got the ball, he reminds me of Salah

Owen Hargreaves has compared one of Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United signings to Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah.

Amorim brought Bryan Mbeumo to Old Trafford last summer in a £65m deal from fellow Premier League club Brentford.

Mbeumo hit 20 goals for the first time in his career last season and is on course to match that feat during his first year at United.

The 26-year-old Cameroon international has five goals so far this season, helping Amorim’s side climb back into Champions League contention after a woeful 2024-25 campaign.

Such has been Mbeumo’s performances at the Theatre of Dreams, club legend Wayne Rooney has hailed the ex-Bees star as United’s ‘best player this season’.

Former United midfielder Hargreaves has also heaped praise on Mbeumo, describing him as an ‘exceptional football player’ and even comparing him to Liverpool great Salah in the final third.

Salah has established himself as one of Liverpool’s greatest ever players over the past decade, scoring 250 goals for the Reds and winning the Premier League and Champions League during his time at Anfield.

‘I think his biggest attribute is that he gives real quality,’ Hargreaves said of £65m summer signing Mbeumo. ‘He reminds me of Mohamed Salah in and around the box.

‘When he gets the ball, he has a clear picture of exactly what he wants to do. 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 it into his feet, he can dribble. [Peter] Crouch mentioned his touch and how sharp he is but technically, I don’t think he gets enough credit.

‘People talk about his goal-scoring and rightly so, but he is an exceptional football player.

‘Many players have come to Manchester United with big names and struggled with the pressure but that hasn’t been the case with Mbeumo.’

Rooney had doubts over United’s move for Mbeumo but admits the Cameroonian forward is quickly proving him wrong.

Dwight Yorke had similar concerns over Mbeumo’s move to Old Trafford but says he is ‘playing at another level’ since leaving Brentford.

Yorke has been less impressed with fellow summer signing Cunha, who has only scored one since his £62.5m move from Wolves.

‘It’s been better, but I still think Manchester United can improve,’ Yorke told Snabbare.

‘Mbuemo has been good. Cunha has shown it in moments but I don’t think he has been as effective as when he played at Wolves.

‘In the summer, Cunha was the signing that excited me. If anyone was going to give me that wow factor, it was Cunha. He hasn’t quite lived up to that just yet.

‘I think there are spells in games where you see a glimpse of the things he has done but he’s not been dominating games like what I saw from him when he was playing for Wolves.

‘If he can show that sort of drive, the skills, the vision and score those sorts of goals in a United shirt then I will say wow, that’s the guy we bought from Wolves.

‘From what I’ve seen of him so far, it’s potentially there. We know what he’s capable of doing. He just needs to do it more consistently. We’ve only seen little spells.

‘Mbeumo on the other hand, I think he’s over-performed on what I thought he would produce in all honesty.

‘I wasn’t quite sure about him coming to United but you’ve got to give people the benefit of the doubt, and I did. 

‘I think he’s playing at another level since coming to United, and United have improved based on adding Cunha and Mbeumo to the team.’

Manchester United drew 2-2 with Tottenham and Nottingham Forest in their last two games before the November international break.

Amorim’s side, currently seventh in the Premier League, return to action on Monday night against former manager David Moyes’ Everton.