Man Utd have signed 'closest thing to Mo Salah' following influence of ex-F1 supremo
Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Mirror or go back to LFC Live.
Daily Mirror IconSportFootballManchester United FCManchester United had a busy summer transfer window with the club's data department having a role to play in one particular dealManchester United's summer transfer window is said to have seen them sign a player who has the closest ability to Mohamed Salah at Liverpool. United made five new signings in the summer, with Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Sesko, Senne Lammens and Diego Leon all moving to Old Trafford.The Red Devils have endured a mixed first half of the season under head coach Ruben Amorim, but have still managed to climb up to seventh place in the Premier League table by Christmas.Amorim and Co. will be determined to move up the standings with a victory when they face Newcastle at Old Trafford on Boxing Day night.One player who has already seemingly shown why United were determined to acquire his signature is Mbeumo.
The Cameroon international is currently with his country at the Africa Cup of Nations, and could be absent for another month while the tournament remains ongoing.READ MORE: Man Utd reach agreement on midfield transfer decision days before January windowREAD MORE: Man Utd star walking suspension tightrope as fresh Ruben Amorim fear emerges before NewcastleUnited spent weeks being linked with signing Mbeumo before eventually getting a deal over the line worth up to £70million.A report in the Daily Mail has claimed that United's recently appointed head of data research, Mike Sansoni, played a key role in bringing Mbeumo to Old Trafford.Sansoni previously worked for the Mercedes Formula One team for 11 years in a similar role before making the switch to United.The report claims that the data compiled by Sansoni and his team showed that United signing Mbeumo was the "closest" they could get to signing Salah from Liverpool.Mbeumo has scored seven goals across 17 appearances so far for United, with six of those coming in the Premier League.The 26-year-old is not the only player that United are missing due to the Africa Cup of Nations, with Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast) and Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco) also competing in the tournament for their respective countries.Before Mbeumo left Manchester to compete at AFCON for Cameroon, Amorim named the forward in the starting line-up for all 16 of their Premier League matches so far this season.That availability has been vital to United's chances of climbing the Premier League this term, with Amorim now forced to change his tactics for the next few weeks while Mbeumo is not at his disposal.Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like.
If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL packageThis article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn moreSky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.