With Thomas Frank off to Spurs, we have jumped the gun on a possible Brentford exodus and reassigned five Bees stars to rival Premier League clubs…
A move to a Big Six club had been long overdue for perennial overachiever Thomas Frank as he’s made pretty light work of establishing Brentford in the Premier League, with two top-half finishes and three of his four seasons in the division ending without even the slightest fear of relegation.
It’s a phenomenal achievement for a club of Brentford’s size and it’s a credit to them and Frank in particular, that it would feel weird not to have them in the Premier League with their feet firmly under the top-flight table.
Frank’s move to Tottenham for a supposed upward career move could raise their relegation fears, but the ever-increasing gap to the Championship should cushion their likely decline next season as Leeds United and co. face an uphill battle to buck a disheartening trend.
Brentford’s situation would become more problematic if several key stars follow Frank in leaving this summer, though. With that, we have decided to prepare their supporters for this worst-case scenario (you’re welcome, by the way) by reassigning five Bees standouts to rival Premier League clubs…
Kevin Schade to Arsenal
The Gunners have finally pulled their finger out and caught up with the rest of the footballing world, who some time ago that they needed to sign a new, for lack of a better term, proper striker.
RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko looks to be their man as they are in deep negotiations with the Bundesliga side, while they are also searching the market for a new left winger.
Bukayo Saka has emphatically left Gabriel Martinelli in the dirt, with their respective development heading in opposite directions as the stagnated Brazil international’s uninspiring form has fuelled their interest in potential upgrades, including one ‘dream target’.
With a large chunk of Arsenal’s summer budget likely to be spent on a striker, they may not have the financial muscle to splash out on a direct upgrade on Martinelli and if they decide to pursue an affordable option to compete with, rather than replace, the Gunners star, Schade would not be a bad shout.
The 23-year-old, valued at £25m on transfermarkt amid reported interest from Borussia Dortmund, enjoyed a breakout season in 2024/25 and was a consistent provider of goal involvements, with his final total of 13 in 38 games a more-than-respectable tally.
Rodrygo or Nico Williams would be ideal statement signings for Arsenal to send a message, but the addition of Schade could be enough to give Martinelli a much-needed kick up the arse.
READ: Thomas Frank sack incoming as Spurs and football are stupid, mate
Bryan Mbeumo to Manchester United
Man Utd are already doing some good business in this summer’s transfer market, which is especially impressive considering they apparently faced going “bust by Christmas”.
Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his ever-changing recruitment team have prioritised fixing a key problem area after there was a severe lack of goals in Ruben Amorim’s side last season.
It has not helped that the squad inherited by Amorim was not suited to his 3-4-3 system, but their dire Premier League form ensured they were shot of confidence and the lack of creativity in the side was laid bare as they struggled to forge enough openings at goal.
The Red Devils seemingly have two irons in the fire for a new No.9, while significantly more progress has been made in their overhaul of the No.10 department, with £65m-rated Mbeumo set to follow Matheus Cunha in joining United for four reasons.
This is somewhat surprising given how shambolic United were in the 2024/25 season, but the grandeur of the club is still enough to lure key targets to their “graveyard”. Mbeumo and Cunha are great signings on paper, but we have been here before and success at Old Trafford, even for these seemingly safe bets, is far from a guarantee.
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Yoanne Wissa to Nottingham Forest
Mbeumo massively stepped up following Ivan Toney’s exit and Igor Thiago’s serious injury, but the same can also be said for Wissa, who also produced his best personal season in 2024/25.
His 19-goal Premier League tally was one shy of Mbeumo’s total as Brentford had two representatives in the chasing pack of big names left behind by Mohamed Salah due to the Liverpool star’s incredible stats.
In previous seasons, Wissa has mostly been used as a winger, but circumstances meant he had to operate as a No.9 in 2024/25 and he seamlessly adapted to this role and is attracting interest from elsewhere.
The age factor is against the 28-year-old as clubs eye targets with a longer shelf life, but Forest plotted an ambitious move in January and their chances of landing him have increased since securing European football. It’s hard to see Chris Wood replicating his relentless scoring next season, so Wissa would be a wise addition as Nuno Espirito Santo’s side prepares to juggle competing in four competitions.
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Nathan Collins to Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs are reportedly set to fail to sign Man Utd-bound Mbeumo, so Frank will have to look elsewhere if he wants to bring a comfort blanket or two from Brentford.
The caveat of Tottenham’s injury crisis is not enough to justify their shambolic Premier League displays this season, with 22 losses in 38 games resulting in an embarrassing 17th-place finish.
Their much-needed Europa League triumph was not enough to save Ange Postecoglou, but it provides Frank and their recruitment team with a strong platform to build with Champions League football delivering a huge injection of funds.
You have to fancy Frank to steady the ship at Spurs with a more flexible approach than Postecoglou, while his philosophy is front-foot enough to align with the Spurs way.
As Spurs showed in the Europa League final, they can be strong defensively when tasked to do a job on an opposing team and Collins would provide strong competition to their current crop, and this transfer would be needed more if Cristian Romero is shown the door with a move to Liverpool mooted.
Mikkel Damsgaard to Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs only remained afloat amid their wide-ranging injury crisis due to the bottom three being quite so poor, so they need to build a well-equipped squad with quality cover in all positions if they are to compete in several competitions next season.
Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison are brilliant assets when fit and firing, but they have had their respective issues with injuries and a loss of form this season, so Damsgaard would at least be a suitable squad player for Spurs, especially considering his ability to operate in several roles.
The 24-year-old arrived in the Premier League with plenty of promise but fell short of expectations in his first two years, though he is coming off a standout campaign as he reached double figures for assists in the Premier League and could be another regen of fellow Dane Christian Eriksen.