Manchester United have missed chance to solve major transfer issue for free

Manchester United are currently in the midst of intense negotiations with Brentford over the proposed signing of Bryan Mbeumo.

On the outside looking in, it seems that these negotiations are being so pre-longed due to a matter of a couple of million pounds. When it comes to Premier League transfers, this is relatively little and there is a growing frustration from some members of the fanbase that ongoing discussions with the Bees have taken so long.

What it does prove is how tight money is for United at present and how big a necessity it is to squeeze every last bit of value from negotiations. That's why it seems to defy logic that Ineos did not take a look at a player who was available for free - this summer - and has scored double figures in each of his last five seasons in Ligue 1.

That man was Jonathan David - the Canadian international who confirmed he was leaving Lille earlier this year for free as he searched for a new challenge. David was also on record stating his desire to one day play in the Premier League and, at 25, he represented an option with good resale value.

It is not as though centre-forward options have been easy to come by this summer either. Liam Delap decided to join Chelsea, while Viktor Gyokeres seems to have his heart set on Arsenal.

Victor Osimhen is still on the market and Ollie Watkins could become available later in the window, but both men will likely cost £60m+. David even has experience of playing as a lone centre-forward, he really was an ideal option to explore.

And yet, United have missed out on David as he flew into Turin on Friday to complete his proposed switch to Serie A giants Juventus. This summer, the Reds have shown clear signs of being too single track focused - with regards