Thomas Frank may have already shot himself in the foot in a bid to bring Bryan Mbeumo with him from Brentford to Tottenham. Frank is in talks to replace Ange Postecoglou in north London after the Aussie was sacked 16 days after winning the Europa League final and qualifying for the Champions League.
Frank emerged as the frontrunner despite links with Marco Silva, Roberto De Zerbi and Mauricio Pochettino, even though the Danish coach has a £10million buy-out clause in his Brentford contract.
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The 51-year-old has already identified his first signing at Spurs, according to The Mirror. He has told the club to rival Manchester United’s push for Mbeumo as a statement signing, with the Red Devils in talks over a potential £60m swoop.
United have already made two bids for Mbeumo as Brentford face losing their head coach and talisman in the same summer. Only Mohamed Salah, Alexander Isak and Erling Haaland outscored the 25-year-old in the Premier League last year.
But at a potential £60m price, with wage demands upwards of £150,000-a-week, Mbeumo would rank as a marquee yet expensive signing for a side that finished 17th in the league table.
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And Spurs may have their incoming head coach to blame for those high figures. Earlier this month, Frank insisted that if Mbeumo was to leave Brentford this summer, it would only be for “a lot of money.”
Speaking to Viaplay, he said: “It is clear that if he is to be sold, it must be for a nice, nice amount. It is a lot. Mucho. Really a lot.
“Then it is clear that it is impossible to replace him one for one. It cannot be done. There is a reason why he costs x number of million pounds and we do not have x number of million pounds to buy for.
“I would say that I would be surprised if a lot of big clubs don't look at him. I would be surprised with what he can offer. How many wingers score 20 goals for a mid-table club? And then with seven assists, plus his work ethic. And his character. All these things mean that he has a lot, so he is a good player.”
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At the time, Frank driving up the price of Mbeumo represented a smart decision for Brentford as they went in search of getting maximum value for the winger.
But now that he is set to negotiate from the other side of the table, Frank may regret talking up Mbeumo’s prospects as someone who should demand a large transfer fee, as he could force his new club to pay extra for the Cameroon international.