Arsenal have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Brentford attacker Bryan Mbeumo after his boss Thomas Frank admitted that the Bees are a selling club.
The Gunners failed to find the back of the net against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, losing 1-0 in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final clash at the Emirates.
Mikel Arteta was unable to select forwards Gabriel Jesus or Kai Havertz due to injury, and the Spanish head coach will be alarmed at his side's failure to capitalise on their chances against PSG.
Arteta will likely be on the lookout for a new forward in the summer, and he may have been given a green light to pursue Brentford's Mbeumo after boss Frank admitted his side are a selling club, telling Sky Sports: "I want my best players to stay forever. I know that Bryan is very happy being here at Brentford, he's thriving, doing well and playing fantastic. What happens in the future? I don't know.
"I've said many times: we are a selling club. But at the same time we have to reinforce that there are ten clubs in the world who aren't selling clubs. So of course if the right price – and that's going to be expensive – is coming, then I'm sure the club will be open for it."
While Frank insisted that a buying club would have to pay a significant price for Mbeumo, if Arteta has ambitions of winning the Premier League title, he may have to spend considerable sums in the upcoming transfer window.
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Mbeumo assessed
When Ivan Toney left Brentford in the summer of 2024, there were concerns that the team would be plunged into a relegation battle without his prowess in the final third.
However, Mbeumo has managed to score 18 Premier League goals and provide six assists in 2024-25, surpassing Toney's best top-flight return of 20 goals and four assists in 2022-23.
The 25-year-old is comfortable operating across the forward line and has proven particularly deadly during counter-attacks, with his pace allowing him to exploit opposition high lines.
It should also be said that the Cameroonian has managed to score against a variety of opponents, ranging from Newcastle United, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur to Wolverhampton Wanderers, West Ham United and Crystal Palace.
His ability to score against teams that defend deep could be valuable to the Gunners considering they have at times found it difficult to unlock stubborn defences.
Mbeumo has flourished in attack alongside Yoane Wissa, and perhaps he would be able to form a similar partnership with Bukayo Saka.
Liverpool have also been credited with an interest in the signature of Mbeumo, but if the Gunners are to take the Merseysiders' Premier League crown, they may have to show they are capable of beating them in the transfer market.
Lewis Nolan
