Bryan Mbeumo has recently revealed the players who helped him settle into Manchester United after leaving Brentford for Old Trafford in the summer transfer window.
Bryan Mbeumo was the second of four senior transfers this summer, not including Diego Leon, who has recently turned 19 years old and spent the majority of the season with the Under-21s side - now led by Adam Lawrence.
Manchester United made the attack their priority in the summer, with Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo joining from fellow Premier League sides Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brentford early in the transfer window, while Benjamin Šeško also joined later on in the summer.
To cater for the new signings, Rasmus Hojlund was loaned to Napoli, Marcus Rashford left for Barcelona, and Antony returned to Real Betis. Alejandro Garnacho also moved on, but that appeared to be down to his negative comments towards then-manager Rúben Amorim following the Europa League final loss to Tottenham Hotspur.
The three new attackers have impressed at Old Trafford, none more so than Mbeumo, who has netted 10 goals and three assists in 27 appearances this campaign, but it took him until the Burnley match at the end of August to score his first Premier League goal in the red of United.
Mbeumo has since admitted he has suffered some "bad moments" since his move to United, naming Bruno Fernandes as key in helping him. The Cameroon international also mentioned Joshua Zirkzee as an important figure since his arrival.
Zirkzee helped Mbeumo settle in
Joshua Zirkzee is often considered a divided figure at Old Trafford. At times, the Dutchman can be brilliant with quick feet and ridiculous agility for a man of his size, but at other times, he looks like a completely different player. Inconsistency has really hurt him.
But what cannot be questioned is his hunger to succeed and his character. Zirkzee was booed off the pitch last season, but came back stronger and established himself as a cult hero among the Stretford End crowd. It appears he has had a similar effect on Bryan Mbeumo.
Speaking on the Manchester United YouTube channel, Mbeumo said: "Obviously, when I arrived, I was already with Leny [Yoro] and Amad, because they speak my language, so it's always easier. And [Matheus] Cunha as well, because he can speak French.
"Obviously, there's people like Josh [Zirkzee], who went along with me really well, and helped me from the start." Despite not being certain about his own future at the club, Zirkzee played a key role in helping Mbeumo settle in, to the point where the former Brentford forward is now one of the first names on the team sheet.
Very few players, especially when they are competing for the same position in the starting lineup, would help Mbeumo in the way Zirkzee would.
Will Zirkzee be at Old Trafford next season?
In December, it seemed destined that Joshua Zirkzee would return to Italy on either a loan or permanent transfer, as he was not a favoured option under Rúben Amorim, who inherited Zirkzee just three months into the Dutchman's United career.
With Michael Carrick at the helm, Zirkzee has remained on the bench, with Mbeumo and Šeško chosen ahead of him to lead the line. Zirkzee is now in a similar position as his brief time under Erik ten Hag, where it would take a change in the attacking shape for him to start.
Unlike Mbeumo and Šeško, Zirkzee likes to play with his back to goal and often drops deep before turning and running at the defence before playing it wide or having a shot of his own. So, many would assume it would make sense to sell him, and it would, to an extent.
But Mbeumo's recent comments could help Zirkzee's case for remaining at Old Trafford. With United returning to the Champions League, more options will be needed and having a versatile option like the self-proclaimed '9.5' could be a good alternative for the new head coach.
Either way, it's safe to say United would miss his personality and character if he were to leave this summer.