Bryan Mbeumo deadline, Ollie Watkins offer - Man Utd transfer state of play

Manchester United are arguably in the middle of the most important transfer windows in their history as they continue to chase Bryan Mbeumo and Ollie Watkins, while Marcus Rashford comes to a decision about his future

Manchester United have a little under two months left of the transfer window - and the Red Devils really need to get down to work. They have already sealed the signing of Matheus Cunha from Wolves for £62.5m.

But the spending is unlikely to stop there. United are in dire need of a new forward to potentially solve their goalscoring issues and appear to have identified their man.

A new midfielder, left-back and winger could all be set to arrive before the window closes on September 1. But before that, exits might have to be the first port of call as United attempt to gather funds after missing out on a spot in Europe for next season.

And there are already a few candidates to leave Old Trafford, with some potentially worth millions. Where does the land lie right now though?

Mirror Football takes a run through the current irons in the United fire to find out which deals could potentially be ticked off.

It’s fair to say that the Brentford forward is right at the top of United’s shortlist of signings. They’ve already had two bids turned down for the Cameroonian and while it appears that the Bees are open to selling, they will only let him go for a price they deem suitable.

As it stands, United chiefs remain confident of reaching an agreement before the end of the week. They might want to move a bit quicker to get everything rubber-stamped but all the signs are pointing to this one getting done.

From Brentford to Aston Villa now, United are interested in adding an out-and-out striker to their squad. Having been linked with a host of options, it appears that Villa star Watkins is now the outstanding candidate.

United reportedly held talks with Villa regarding a deal in January only for nothing to come of their initial discussions. But they are now making a concerted effort to sign the England man despite Villa’s £60m asking price.

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One reason that United have turned their attention to Watkins is the ongoing furore surrounding Viktor Gyokeres. The Sporting Lisbon striker was thought to be at the top of United’s list, only for him to prioritise a move to Arsenal.

Even then, a deal has proven to be difficult, with Gyokeres accusing Sporting of upping their demands, threatening strike action and even turning down clear-the-air talks. It’s all gotten a bit messy but it appears that the Gunners are inching closer to an agreement, putting United out of the race in the process.

One deal that is a lot easier to do is a move for young defender Diego Leon. He is set to fly to the UK this week to undergo pre-season testing.

Leon has already suggested that he is ready to fight for his place at Old Trafford. He said: "I'm really happy, I think every player dreams of this. When you're a professional, you have to adapt quickly, it is a massive opportunity.

"Everyone thinks I'll go out on loan, but I don't have that mindset. I'm going to kill it in pre-season and within one or two games, I'll already be playing with them."

Over recent days, United’s interest in Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Fabian Ruiz emerged but a deal looks somewhat tricky to do. The Spaniard has two years left on his contract in the French capital, while manager Luis Enrique apparently wants to keep him around.

Ruiz would be a quality addition to their midfield options but this one just appears to be speculation for now.

While Enrique wants to keep hold of Ruiz, the same could certainly not be said of Ruben Amorim and Marcus Rashford. The forward was exiled to Aston Villa last term, the Midlands side recently confirming that they will not be activating their option to sign him.

Rashford has already made his preference clear having ruled out a move to London, while he also does not want to reduce his £300k-per-week pay packet. He has also expressed interest in a move to Barcelona, who are interested in a move despite their imminent capture of Nico Williams. It looks like this one could rumble on for some time.

With Rashford primed for an exit, he could be joined by Alejandro Garnacho, who has also fallen out with Amorim. Serie A champions Napoli were reportedly interested but that has not progressed.

A potential swap deal with Chelsea involving Christopher Nkunku was touted but that looks slightly unlikely right now. The Blues could still move for him but again, that might be another one that gets more clarification later in the window.

Sticking with Chelsea, they have already dealt a considerable blow to United’s transfer window this summer. The Blues had a £25m obligation to buy former loanee Sancho but paid a £5m penalty clause to back out of that agreement.

He is now set to return to Old Trafford. Juventus have recently emerged as potential suitors in a sensational swap deal, while Napoli and Fenerbahce have also been linked in the past. It’s clear that Sancho won’t be a United player next season, it just depends on where.

Fellow forward Rasmus Hojlund could also depart over the coming months. The Danish forward endured a woeful second season at Old Trafford, with it being suggested that United were happy to cut their losses.

Inter Milan looked to be the most likely to move for him but they have since cooled their interest in the former Atalanta man. It was reported that United would only move for Watkins should Hojlund leave so his future could potentially be key to how the rest of the window plays out at Old Trafford.

Brazilian winger Antony has been a disastrous signing at Old Trafford and he looks sure to leave. All the suggestions are that Real Betis will make a renewed move for the former Ajax man following his successful loan move last season.

But the Spanish side would struggle to match United’s current demands. Reports in Spain suggest that an agreement over a move is still some way off despite Antony making his desire to return to Seville abundantly clear.

Amorim has a decision to make over United’s number one position. Andre Onana has struggled to convince during his time at Old Trafford and according to reports, United would be open to letting him leave on loan.

Ligue 1 side Monaco emerged as suitors for his services but have since cooled their interest. The Red Devils have picked out a few potential replacements but Onana will need to leave before anything progresses.