Thomas Frank, Manager of Brentford, speaks with Bryan Mbeumo.
Brentford boss Thomas Frank has again discussed the prospect of losing Bryan Mbeumo this summer as Newcastle United plot a move for the Cameroon winger.
The Danish has recently appeared resigned to the fact Mbeumo will depart west London as European outfits do battle for his signature. Brentford threatened to burst their way into Europe at times this term but the winger's 20 top flight goals, coupled with Yoane Wissa's 19 strikes, failed to propel the Bees into the big time.
As such, Mbeumo appears destined to take a step up to a club in the Champions League - such is his preference. That leaves Newcastle in a solid position as Eddie Howe's side plot how to make the most of their new-found transfer freedom given recent struggles with PSR.
Brentford, meanwhile, want to extract every penny they can out of Mbeumo's exit, with Frank admitting it will take 'a lot' to lure him from the Gtech Community Stadium.
“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,” the Brentford boss told Nordic outlet ViaPlay.
“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 has to 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.”
Mbeumo last year announced he was ready to make the next step in his career, telling L'Equipe he was hoping to play in the best competitions as soon as possible. No move, ultimately, materialised and the wide man would go on to enjoy his best Premier League season to date in red and white.
Newcastle have previously been in the market for additional right-wing firepower but have yet to strengthen that position since the 2021 takeover.
The loss of Miguel Almiron in January has meant Jacob Murphy has been the only out and out, natural right-side forward in Howe's squad, with left-sided stars Harvey Barnes and Anthony Gordon filling in from time to time, along with striker William Osula.
Here at ChronicleLive, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Newcastle United coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don't miss out on the latest NUFC news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.