Newcastle United will have to evaluate their attacking targets this summer. Eddie Howe will surely be keen to build on what was a successful 2024/25 campaign for his side, who won the Carabao Cup and secured Champions League qualification thanks to their Premier League finish.
Unfortunately for the Magpies, it seems as though their primary attacking target this summer, Bryan Mbeumo, will join Manchester United.
Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo celebrates after the match
Highly reputable journalist David Ornstein reported on June 2nd that the Brentford star has decided he wants to join the Red Devils this summer, picking them over the likes of Newcastle.
So, with Mbeumo off the table, the North East giants will have to turn their attention elsewhere when it comes to attacking targets.
Newcastle's Mbeumo alternative
There is no doubt that, for Newcastle, losing a player like Mbeumo, who would have slotted into their side nicely on the right wing, is a huge blow to the project. However, it seems as though they have identified the alternative.
According to a recent report from journalist Christian Falk, the Magpies are ‘interested in signing’ Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman, a player who Bayern are ‘are looking to offload’ this summer.
However, the 28-year-old France international is not just a target for the Premier League outfit, but also for La Liga giants Barcelona.
kingsley-coman-bayern-munich-bundesliga
Barca are focusing on moves for Liverpool winger Luis Diaz and Man United sensation Marcus Rashford, but could move for Coman if those deals do not materialise. As for the price, Sky Germany reported in March that Bayern would want upwards of £34m for the attacker.
How Coman compares to Mbeumo
It wasn’t necessarily the easiest season for Coman. He struggled with a couple of injuries and perhaps did not play as much of an important role under Vincent Kompany as he may have liked, as Bayern went on to reclaim the Bundesliga title.
kingsley-coman-bayern-munich
In 41 appearances across all competitions, the France international, who was born in Paris and came through PSG’s academy, played 41 games in total. In that time, he scored seven goals and grabbed four assists.
Breaking that down further, we can look at Coman’s stats in the German top flight, which, if anything, highlight just how sparse his involvement was this term. The 28-year-old played 28 games, with his 1,280 minutes the equivalent of 14 full games. A high point of his season was surely the goal and assist he grabbed in a 3-0 win at home to Union Berlin.
Yet, despite a season of much frustration for Coman, he could certainly benefit the Magpies. He is a serial winner, having lifted 30 major titles during his career. After all, there is a reason he's previously been labelled as "one of the best players in the world" by Oliver Kahn.
Perhaps, with that in mind, he’d make a great alternative to Mbeumo, who seems destined for Old Trafford. The Cameroon international was sensational last season, with 20 goals and eight assists in the Premier League.
However, despite the fact that he performed so well last term, and has done for the past few years now, the experience that Coman would bring to the Newcastle squad is not necessarily something that the Brentford winger could match.
Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo celebrates scoring their first goal
Indeed, the underlying numbers on FBref suggest that the Frenchman would be an apt alternative, too. For example, last season, Coman averaged 0.77 goal-creating actions per 90 minutes, compared to just 0.53 goal-creating actions each game for the Bees talisman.
Coman and Mbeumo key stats compared
Stat (per 90)
Expected goals
Key passes
Shot-creating actions
Goal-creating actions
Progressive carries
Stats from FBref
There is no doubt that losing out on the Premier League talent is a blow for the Magpies. He is a player who could have added a direct threat on the right-hand side. However, adding Coman to the squad could certainly have a similar impact, and he can be a "menace" for opponents, as Statman Dave said.
kingsley-coman-bayern-munich
The package of £34m Bayern are asking for does not seem too outlandish for a player still pursuing the goods on the pitch, as the stats show, and bringing with him bags of experience.
Anthony Gordon celebrates for Newcastle Related
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Newcastle are looking to make a series of signings this summer.