Eddie Howe is looking to bolster his forward line with a versatile forward who can cover several positions and may now have found his man.
Newcastle United have a new right winger high up on the priority list this summer, but key to that acquisition will be finding one who can also cover other positions if needed, especially centre-forward.
Craig Hope recently said that a striker isn't a high priority for Howe as he's hoping to keep hold of Callum Wilson, but the Magpies will need more than just two strikers heading into the new campaign, so a versatile forward, like Anthony Gordon, would be key.
It makes sense then, that according to French outlet, L'Equipe, Newcastle have their eye on Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo who cost The Bees just £5.4million back in 2019.
The 24-year-old Cameroon international is coming off the back of his best season in the Premier League where, despite a three-month absence with an ankle injury, the forward still managed nine goals and six assists in 25 outings, which when compared to Miguel Almiron's three goals and one assist in 33 outings shows why we need to upgrade.
Unfortunately for Newcastle, though, that form has also attracted the attention of Liverpool who have started to look for a long-term replacement for Mo Salah with Mbeumo telling L'Equipe that he's open to a summer switch.
“I spent five seasons at Brentford, at a club that helped me grow and turn a corner. But yes, I want to play in the biggest competitions, for the best clubs. It’s still exciting to see some of the big teams interested in me. We’ll see."
Mbeumo is still under contract at Brentford until 2026 and they'll be in no rush to sell, so it will take a generous offer to get the ball rolling you'd think.
It seems a little bit out of left-field this one, but it makes perfect sense as he's the exact type of player we need and while he will obviously cost more than the £5.4million Brentford paid for him, he's not likely to break the bank.
It's worth keeping an eye on this one, but Liverpool's interest could cause us problems ... again!
PL | GD | PTS | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Liverpool
|
13 | 18 | 34 |
2 |
Arsenal
|
13 | 12 | 25 |
3 |
Chelsea
|
13 | 12 | 25 |
4 |
Brighton
|
13 | 5 | 23 |
5 |
Manchester City
|
13 | 3 | 23 |
6 |
Nottingham Forest
|
13 | 3 | 22 |
7 |
Tottenham Hotspur
|
13 | 14 | 20 |
8 |
Brentford
|
13 | 3 | 20 |
9 |
Manchester United
|
13 | 4 | 19 |
10 |
Fulham
|
13 | 0 | 19 |
11 |
Newcastle United
|
13 | 0 | 19 |
12 |
Aston Villa
|
13 | -3 | 19 |
13 |
Bournemouth
|
13 | 1 | 18 |
14 |
West Ham United
|
13 | -7 | 15 |
15 |
Everton
|
13 | -11 | 11 |
16 |
Leicester
|
13 | -11 | 10 |
17 |
Crystal Palace
|
13 | -7 | 9 |
18 |
Wolves
|
13 | -10 | 9 |
19 |
Ipswich
|
13 | -11 | 9 |
20 |
Southampton
|
13 | -15 | 5 |