Bryan Mbeumo is in no rush to sign a new contract at Brentford with Premier League giants Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Manchester City and Newcastle United all keen on the forward.
- Exclusive from Graeme Bailey
With Ivan Toney emerging as Brentford’s headline performer since Thomas Frank guided The Bees to the Premier League back in 2021, the outstanding displays of the club’s other key players had previously gone under the radar.
That appears to be changing, however.
Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo both stepped up brilliantly during Toney’s long spell out of the side due to an FA-imposed ban last season.
Brentford turned down a £25 million bid from Nottingham Forest for the former in the final few days of the summer window. And it can now be revealed that West London outfit are facing up to a flurry of interest in Mbeumo too.
Liverpool and Manchester City eye Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo
HITC understands that the 25-year-old could emerge as one of the most coveted footballers in the Premier League in 2025. Clubs often rest on analytics and statistics these days to unearth future targets, and the data has Mbeumo ranking amongst the most effective forwards anywhere in European football.
HITC have been told that his eye-catching numbers have earned Mbeumo plenty of admirers elsewhere in the Premier League.
Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Manchester City and Newcastle are all keen.
And while Brentford will be loathe to lose a player they plucked from relative obscurity – he joined from Troyes back in 2019 for just shy of £6 million – Mbeumo’s contract situation will be a concern to a side who finished a nervy 16th last season.
The Cameroon international has just two years left on his deal.
And while Brentford are keen to extend that contract, HITC have been told that Mbeumo is in no rush to put pen to paper.
Pep Guardiola may need Julian Alvarez replacement
Formerly a representative of France’s Under 21 side, the versatile forward may be keen to test himself at the top end of the division with Man City, Arsenal and Liverpool in particular potentially offering a shot at silverware.
With nine goals apiece in the last two seasons, Mbeumo looks well placed to break into double figures for the first time in 2024/25. With a brace in last week’s 3-1 triumph over Southampton, he is averaging a goal-a-game so far this term.
Liverpool, one of Mbeumo’s admirers, have an impressive track record when snapping up players who had impressed at clubs lower down the Premier League pyramid.
Diogo Jota, Xherdan Shaqiri, Andy Robertson and Gini Wijnaldum all won the top-flight title under Jurgen Klopp, while the German was full of praise for Mbeumo back in 2021 after a thrilling 3-3 draw between Liverpool and Brentford in the capital.
“It was a wild ride. They deserved their three goals for the way they played,” Klopp told Sky Sports at the time, Wissa, Toney and Mbeumo announcing themselves to the Premier League in style.
“They deserved it. Toney and Mbuemo did really well.”
Arsenal, meanwhile, may view Mbeumo as a potential successor for Leandro Trossard. HITC have been told that the Belgian is interested in a move to Saudi Arabia.
Champions Man City, meanwhile, find themselves a forward short after Julian Alvarez’s move to Atletico Madrid.
And while City did show an interest in Celtic talisman Kyogo Furuhashi, the Argentina would not be replaced with Pep Guardiola admitting that the 2023 treble-winners could regret not bringing in another attacking option, per BBC Sport.
HITC have been told that Brentford will hold out for £50 million for Mbeumo.
“I want to play in the biggest competitions, in the best clubs,” he said in an interview with L’Equipe during the summer. “It’s still enticing to see some big teams interested in me.”
The post Exclusive: Man City and Liverpool eye £6m Prem forward for 2025, Klopp praised him appeared first on HITC.
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