€50m market value 

©TM/IMAGO

It was a disappointing weekend for Brentford, as they saw their hopes of European football take a huge blow, as they squandered a 2-1 lead to lose 3-2 at home to west London rivals Fulham this Sunday, whilst Crystal Palace won the FA Cup, casting doubt as to whether eighth place in the Premier League will even get European football now this season. It’s still possible, but would need Chelsea to win the Europa Conference League and miss out on the top five. Once again Bryan Mbeumo and Yoanne Wissa were on the scoresheet for the Bees, and the London club may have just needed European football to have any hope of hanging on to the former. In the 2024/25 Premier League season, only Mohamed Salah (28), Alexander Isak (23) ,Erling Haaland (21) and Chris Wood (20) have more goals than Brentford’s Cameroonian winger (19). 

Mbeumo currently boasts a market value of €50 million, and has been linked with a summer move to a number of top Premier League clubs, including Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United. He is one of the hottest properties in the Premier League right now, and reports have suggested that Brentford would be willing to sell their winger for the right price this summer, and he may represent very good value to a number of clubs. Recent reports suggest that the Gunners are progressing in talks with the Brentford winger, with the Red Devils also pushing for a deal. So why is there so much interest in Mbeumo?

Why Bryan Mbeumo is one of the Premier League’s most sought-after wingers

Mbeumo arrived from French side Troyes in 2019 for a fee of €6.5m, which was the club’s second most expensive transfer fee at the time, only behind Ollie Watkins (signed for €7.22m from Exeter in 2017). He had got promoted with Troyes, scoring 11 goals in 37 games in Ligue 2, but had played just four Ligue 1 matches when Brentford signed him as a 19 year old. Mbeumo adapted to English football quickly, scoring 23 goals and providing 19 assists in two seasons in the Championship. However, his performances were usually overshadowed by out-an-out star strikers like Watkins and Ivan Toney (more on this later).

When a team is promoted to the Premier League, there are always question marks over whether players can adjust to the rise in level, such is the gulf in quality between the English top-flight and the Championship. Nevertheless, Mbeumo has proved he is right at home in the Premier League. The Cameroonian has scored 41 goals and provided 30 assists in 135 games in the division, and his numbers have been steadily on the up ever since he made his debut in the league in a famous 2-0 win vs Arsenal in August 2021.

Last season, Mbeumo started the campaign in top form. He scored seven goals and provided three assists in the first 15 games, before an ankle injury disrupted his campaign. As illustrated in the graphic above, the only wingers with a better goals per game ratio than Mbeumo’s 0.45gpg since the start of last season are Mohamed Salah (0.68gpg), Cole Palmer (0.53pgp), and Michael Olise (0.53gpg). There’s been a consistent theme around his form in the Premier League, which has centred around Mbeumo being the main man. With Toney suspended for the first half of last campaign, Mbuemo flourished; that has continued this season with the 25 year old enjoying a superb season.

How Bryan Mbeumo is flourishing without Ivan Toney

Toney became one of the most in-demand strikers in Europe when he scored 22 goals for Brentford in the 2022/23 season. He was the without doubt the Bees’ most talked about asset. However, a ban for breaching betting rules in May 2023 saw him miss eight months of football. Nevertheless, last summer he finally got his move, but not the one people perhaps had expected; Saudi Pro League team Al-Ahli paid €42m to bring in the English striker on deadline day. When Toney was in the team, a lot of Brentford’s play, understandably so, was centred around him, but without the 6″1″ striker as the focal point, Mbeumo has stepped up his game.

As showcased in the graphic above, Mbeumo’s record in the Premier League without Toney is significantly better than when the pair have both been in the Brentford team. In 69 games alongside Toney, Mbeumo scored just eight goals and provided only nine assists, equating to a ratio of 0.12 goals per game, and 0.13 assists per game. In the 64 games Mbeumo has played without Toney in the side, he has scored 32 goals and provided 17 assists, equating to a notably better rate of 0.50 goals per game and 0.27 assists per game. It does appear Mbeumo thrives when he is the main man in attack – something that could potentially put off some big club suitors; he won’t walk into the Liverpool or Arsenal dressing room and obtain that role. 

Arsenal, Liverpool and Man United interested – who could Mbeumo sign for?

There seems to be a number of clubs in the Premier League who are considering a summer move for Mbeumo, whose current contract expires in 2026, with the club holding an option for a further year. Recent reports have suggested that Man United have made an offer of up to €65m, whilst there have also been rumours that talks are progressing between Mbeumo and Arsenal. Speaking at the end of last year, manager Thomas Frank said, ‘He’s added another layer this year. For me, he’s a top player. I’m convinced one day he will play for a bigger club; I will definitely buy him if I was at a bigger club.” Various reports have suggested that Brentford have set an asking price of £50m (€60m), and Frank’s comments would suggest that the Bees are braced to lose their winger in the near future.