With Thomas Frank taking the Tottenham Hotspur helm this week, a new rumour has emerged about a Brentford star who is now more interested in following in his former coach’s footsteps.
Tottenham Hotspur Hold Initial Discussions for Bryan Mbeumo
More Details on Mbeumo Spurs Move
Tottenham Hotspur have held initial talks for Bryan Mbeumo, according to an exclusive from Sky Sports News.
It is understood that Mbeumo is more “intrigued” in joining Spurs due to Frank now being the manager.
This comes as a blow for Manchester United, who have already had a bid of around £45 million plus £10 million in bonuses rejected for the winger.
Currently, the fee to take Mbeumo away from Brentford is over £60 million. The star has one year left on his contract with an option to extend it for a further year.
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The Potential Impact of Mbeumo Joining Tottenham
Mbeumo could be a huge signing for Spurs. The 25-year-old is reaching his peak after scoring 20 goals and getting eight assists across 38 Premier League matches last season. He was the fourth top scorer, only beaten by Mohamed Salah, Alexander Isak and Erling Haaland.
Tottenham only scored two fewer goals than Brentford in the league last season, despite 15 points separating the two clubs in the table.
That said, there were no out-and-out goal scorers for Spurs. This is partly due to the number of injuries that affected the squad, but this still tells the tale of a side that could benefit from another source of goals.
Brennan Johnson (11), James Maddison (9) and Dominic Solanke (9) were the club’s highest goalscorers in the league last campaign.
After having such a successful season at Brentford, Mbeumo would be a great fit to bolster Tottenham’s attack. He would immediately make the starting eleven for Frank and fit into his system.
Frank has previously described Mbeumo as the best penalty taker in the Premier League.
He said: “Mbeumo has very, very good mentality, composure and focus. I think it’s trusting the process, trusting his strategy, so he did exactly the same as he’s doing for every single penalty and he knows that’s what he needs to do in the future.”
Mbeumo’s Journey so Far
Starting his career in France, Mbeumo emerged from the Troyes youth academy before going on to make 46 appearances for the senior team.
Brentford snapped Mbeumo up in 2019 for a club record fee of around £5.8 million.
Since then, he has made 242 appearances for the Bees, scoring a phenomenal 70 goals while making 51 assists.
It didn’t take long for Mbeumo to become an influential player at Brentford. While Ivan Toney proved to be an important source of goals for the club, it was while he was pushing for a move away that Mbeumo proved his worth as a goalscorer and creator.
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Future-Proofing the Spurs Frontline
Signing a player of Mbeumo’s calibre is not just a great signing for the short term. There are rumours surrounding Son Heung-Min’s future at the club, especially since the South Korean has finally achieved his goal of winning a trophy with Spurs. Football London understands that Son is open to making a move more than ever, with Saudi Pro League clubs lining up to take the 33-year-old away this summer.
It would be bittersweet for Spurs fans to see their club captain leave after showing such loyalty to the club. But bringing in Mbeumo could prove to be a push factor for Son moving on to his next challenge. Alternatively, a bit of competition and extra depth might help the likes of Son, Johnson and Kulusevski to improve their goalscoring form and get the necessary rest when needed.
Tottenham will have more leeway with Premier League PSR (Profit and Sustainability Rules) after winning the Europa League and securing Champions League football for next season. So the bigger price tag for Mbeumo could be worth it for a ready-made goalscorer and creator.