Bidding war to erupt as Man City, Aston Villa join three more Prem sides in chasing electric winger
Aston Villa and Manchester City have joined Arsenal, Newcastle and Liverpool in chasing Brentford winger Bryan Mbeumo, and why the Bees should be worried as well as the likely transfer cost has been revealed.
Mbeumo, 25, cost Brentford a then club-record £5.8m to sign from French side Troyes back in 2019. The Bees were a Championship club at the time, though with Mbeumo’s help, would go on to win promotion to the top flight two seasons later.
The left-footed right winger has since made a mockery of his lowly transfer fee and has established himself as one of the most effective wingers in England.
Indeed, Mbeumo bagged 17 goal contributions in 38 matches across the 2022/23 campaign. He took his output to new heights last term when returning figures of 15 goal contributions in just 25 league appearances.
Mbeumo has started the new season in fantastic fashion by scoring three goals in three matches. He scored on opening day against Crystal Palace before bagging a brace last time out in the 3-1 victory over Southampton.
The only team he’s not netted against so far this term is Liverpool. However, the Reds appear to be a much meaner outfit from a defensive standpoint this season, with new manager Arne Slot favouring a more possession and control-based gameplan when compared to predecessor Jurgen Klopp.
Premier League heavyweights circling over Bryan Mbeumo
Mbeumo is only now entering the prime of his career aged 25 and a recent report from Give Me Sport claimed the vultures were beginning to circle.
They stated Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle were all casting their eye on the Cameroon international.
But according to a fresh update from HITC, Man City and Aston Villa have entered the frame too.
What’s more, how much a transfer will cost and why Brentford should be worried has been revealed.
Brentford set stall out at £50m
Firstly, HITC state Brentford have slapped a hefty £50m price tag on Mbeumo.
Whether that would be enough to prevent certain interested clubs from bidding isn’t yet clear.
However, when looking at similar recent moves in the Premier League, £50m doesn’t appear to be the level of sum that will deter suitors from moving for a proven performer like Mbeumo.
Indeed, Chelsea splashed out well in excess of £50m to sign 24-year-old Pedro Neto from Wolves.
Mbeumo has scored more league goals for Brentford since the beginning of the 2022/23 season (21) than Neto did in his entire five-year Wolves career across all competitions (14).
Elsewhere, Newcastle and Liverpool had agreed on a package worth £75m for the transfer of Anthony Gordon in June.
That move fell through when the Magpies decided to sell Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest) and Yankuba Minteh (Brighton) to satisfy their PSR requirements instead.
The presence of multiple bidders would greatly enhance Brentford’s chances of recouping maximum value if they were to cash in.
Which – if any – of the five interested clubs are showing the strongest interest is not yet clear.
But given there are five clubs – all of which compete at the top end of the table – in the mix, Brentford may find it difficult to retain their star forward when the bids fly in.
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Brentford facing Toney repeat amid Mbeumo contract concerns
Furthermore, HITC reported Mbeumo ‘is in no rush to sign a new contract’ with Thomas Frank’s side amid the growing clamour for his signature.
Mbeumo is contracted to Brentford until 2026 and the club retain an option for the 2026/27 season.
However, as we saw with Ivan Toney who eventually left for £40m, clubs become increasingly unable to generate a player’s true value when their contracts are running down.
Brentford had initially hoped to collect as much as £80m from Toney’s sale. But with less than a year remaining on his deal they ultimately accepted £40m when selling to Saudi Arabian side Al-Ahli.
Mbeumo previously admitted his desire is to play in the biggest competitions when speaking to French outlet L’Equipe over the summer.
“I want to play in the biggest competitions, in the best clubs,” he said. “It’s still enticing to see some big teams interested in me.”
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