BRYAN MBEUMO & AMAD DIALLOOUT: MAN UTD FACES CRISIS, EYES £65M ANTOINE SEMENYO SOLUTION
Man Utd loses Mbeumo and Amad for up to seven games, including the Manchester Derby. The urgent solution? Act fast on Antoine Semenyo's short-lived £65M release clause.
Manchester United has been on a great run lately, with only one loss in their last nine games across all competitions in 2025/26.
One of their players has scored six goals and made one assist in the Premier League, making him the team's top scorer so far.
The other player has one goal and two assists, often giving the team a creative edge on the right wing from his wing-back position.
The manager won't be able to count on either of them for the next few weeks, as both are heading off to play for their countries in the African Cup of Nations.
The African Cup of Nations always messes with clubs' plans, and United is about to feel that pain.
The tournament runs from December 21st to January 18th. If both their countries make it to the final, Mbeumo and Amad could miss up to seven games.
The manager said he's not sure if either player will be ready for the Bournemouth game on Monday, which could bring the total to eight games missed.
During the tournament, United has six Premier League matches and a FA Cup match against Brighton.
The biggest game they’ll miss is against Manchester City on January 17th. However, they could be back if their teams are knocked out early.
The group stage ends on December 31st, meaning they’ll definitely miss games against Aston Villa, Newcastle United, and Wolves.
If all goes well, they could be back for the Leeds United game on January 4th.
So, who can fill their shoes?
So far in the 2025/26 season, Amad and Mbeumo have often played together on the right, forming a great partnership.
Their 10 goals and assists make up 38% of the team's total, showing how big a problem it is to replace them.
Players like Mason Mount, Kobbie Mainoo, and Joshua Zirkzee will be eager to step up, but the manager might decide to look outside the club.
Even before the transfer window opens, United has been linked to several players, including Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo.
The Ghanaian player has been doing really well in the league, with six goals and three assists in his first 14 games.
He won't be at the African Cup of Nations, giving United a good chance to try and sign him.
Word is, he has a £65m release clause that kicks in on January 1st, but it only lasts for ten days.
United should jump at this opportunity. Some people are calling him the best winger in the country, and he has what it takes to make up for the loss at Old Trafford.
He's already averaging 1.4 shots on target per 90 minutes, putting him in the top 4% of players in the league. He offers the kind of goal threat they’ll miss from Mbeumo.
He can also play as a number ten or wing-back if needed, which could be really useful these next few weeks.
He’s becoming one of the most wanted players in the league, so the club needs to act fast to get the manager the players he needs to deal with the African Cup of Nations absences.
INSIDE SENNE LAMMENS’ BLUEPRINT FOR MAN UNITED’S MASSIVE 2026 SUMMER TRANSFER OVERHAUL
"We want to be stronger." Read Senne Lammens' honest assessment of Manchester United’s squad needs after the Sunderland draw.
Senne Lammens isn’t hiding from the truth; he knows Manchester United have to beef up their squad this summer if they want to handle both the Premier League and Champions League next season.
Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Sunderland showed just how thin United are right now. Casemiro, Benjamin Sesko, and Manuel Ugarte all sat out with injuries, and you could feel their absence on the pitch.
It’s been a weird season for United. They played just 40 games, the fewest in over a century, because they were eliminated from Europe and both domestic cups so early. But now they’re back in the Champions League, and Lammens realises the team has to get deeper if they want to compete seriously.
“Yeah, definitely. This league’s tough, and next year’s schedule is going to be insane,” the goalkeeper said. “You want to have enough reliable players, people who can step up whenever they’re needed.”
Lammens made it clear that United must invest in new signings during the summer window. He’s not saying the squad lacks quality now, but he knows things will get tougher. “Honestly, I think we’ve got a lot of talent this year,” he said. “But next season’s going to ask a lot more from us, and you need to be ready for injuries and everything that can come with a busy year like today, when we missed a few regular starters. Being able to call on others to jump in really matters.”
He wants a strong, well-rounded group ready for the challenges ahead. “We’re already building towards that, but we want to be even stronger for next season.”
Some people wondered if United relaxed after they clinched their Champions League spot by beating Liverpool last weekend. Lammens brushed that idea off. He said head coach Michael Carrick was all over them, reminding everyone to finish the season on a high.
“I don’t think so, not for me at least,” Lammens said. “The manager made it clear that these last games are important. We want as many points as we can get and to finish as high as possible. How you end the season carries over. It’s your launchpad for next year. We want to keep the momentum going.”
He didn’t want to hear any excuses. “Honestly, if we’d played at Sunderland a few weeks ago before securing the Champions League, it still would’ve been tough. That wasn’t in our minds.”
Carrick echoed those thoughts after the match. He sounded almost annoyed when asked if the players were mentally on holiday already.
“I get almost offended by that,” he said. “The way the players prepared and battled out there, it’s clear they’re still focused. If we’d been off it, we’d have lost. Sunderland pushed us hard at times.”
He thinks the pride and responsibility of playing for Manchester United is all the motivation the team needs. “That’s what keeps us sharp, knowing we represent something big. That doesn’t guarantee we’ll always play brilliantly, but it’s enough to fight through tough days.”
MANCHESTER UNITED HOLD ADVANCED NEGOTIATIONS FOR RECORD-BREAKING £18M BETWAY SPONSORSHIP
Despite the upcoming front-of-shirt gambling ban, explore how Man United’s Betway deal targets training apparel at Carrington.
Manchester United are currently discussing a potential sponsorship deal with Betway, reportedly worth up to £18 million. This comes despite the Premier League having banned betting companies from featuring as main shirt sponsors starting from the 2026-27 season.
Back in 2023, Premier League clubs collectively agreed to remove gambling logos from the front of their shirts. From that point, no top-flight team will carry betting advertisements on their kits during matches. But this new deal would see Betway appear on United’s training gear, not their matchday shirts.
According to reports from the MEN, talks have progressed significantly. If an agreement were reached, the Betway logo would be quite visible on the training apparel worn by players at Carrington, United’s training ground. That means fans would regularly see the branding in video footage and photos taken during training sessions.
Previously, United’s training kits featured Tezos, a blockchain company, until that partnership ended in June 2025. Betway has its own history with English football; they’ve been shirt sponsors for West Ham United and maintain global gambling partnerships with several Premier League clubs, including Manchester City, Arsenal, and Brighton & Hove Albion.
The financial terms on the table for this Betway deal would be substantially close to £18 million, putting it on a similar scale to Bayern Munich’s partnership with Allianz, which includes stadium naming rights. This is quite a significant figure for a single training kit sponsor.
This season, United have gone without a sponsor on their training gear. After the Tezos contract expired, the club chose not to rush into a new agreement. They wanted to carefully evaluate potential partners, both from a financial standpoint and in terms of brand alignment.
There were even conversations with the African division of the Six Rivers Foundation, a conservation project in which United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has invested. However, those discussions didn’t lead to a deal.
When majority owners Joel and Avram Glazer visited Carrington earlier this year, commercial revenue and sponsorship opportunities were among the key topics addressed. The club has also brought in marketing agency Two Circles, where ex-United sales manager Leo Thompson works, to help find a new sleeve sponsor, given that the current contract with DXC ends this summer.
Securing Champions League qualification for next season under Michael Carrick’s leadership has somewhat eased the process. United guaranteed their place in Europe’s top competition after a 3-2 victory over Liverpool at Old Trafford, which should make the club more attractive to potential commercial partners.
