According to iNews, Newcastle United have identified their dream signing for January, with Brentford winger Bryan Mbeumo topping the wishlist.
The Magpies have reportedly have changed their recruitment efforts from bolstering their defensive line to improving the attacking threat ahead of the January transfer window.
New sporting director Paul Mitchell and manager Eddie Howe will be on a mission in the turn of the year to rectify the mistakes made in the summer transfer market to ensure Newcastle can comfortably compete for a European qualification spot.
This season has brought about mixed emotions with performances and results, as the North East giants have suffered two defeats and only scored eight league goals so far, which is not putting them on a trajectory to reach the heights of Champions League football that they had once secured before under Howe’s guidance.
Alexander Isak has not only suffered an injury already, but has also struggled to hit the ground running, while Anthony Gordon has been slotted into makeshift roles to cover and Harvey Barnes is not getting the game time needed to extend upon his three-goal tally so far.
As a result, there is now thought to be a strong desire to improve the right winger position currently occupied by either Miguel Almiron or Jacob Murphy, both of whom have not found the back of the net yet this season.
iNews are reporting today that the dream signing for Newcastle in January is Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo, a right winger who has been often underestimated in the Premier League due to his former teammate Ivan Toney’s escapades in front of goal at the West London club.
Will Newcastle sign a right winger in January?
There is no doubt that the right winger position is an area of weakness for the Magpies, and bolstering the attacking threat with a confident and direct goal threat would be massively advantageous for the second half of the season.
Over eight Premier League appearances so far this season, Mbeumo has scored six goals and created five big chances, as well as averaging two key passes, 2.1 shots and 1.1 shots on target per game, proving that he is an incredible asset with a clear hunger for scoring.
The 25-year-old has scored as many league goals as Isak (1), Gordon (2) and Barnes (3) combined so far, and with his diversity in positioning would provide Newcastle with important depth both on the right and in the centre-forward role.
The Brentford bags man has found the back of the net 11 times over the 30 appearances he has made in the striker role, so it would also massively relieve pressure on Isak and provides Howe with a worthy successor for Callum Wilson when he is needed to play more centrally.
Indeed, the Cameroon international would be the dream long-term signing for the Geordies, but given his huge role in West London since the departure of Toney, it would likely take an incredibly lucrative offer for the Bees to part ways with their star player mid-season.
Having said that, Brentford boss Thomas Frank spoke out last month to address the potential of losing Mbeumo in the future due to his incredible form:
“He was our biggest miss for four months last year, even with Toney out.”
“He was our key player and has added another layer this season with five goals in six games. That’s incredible and he’s creating chances. He’s a top player. I’m convinced he will play for a bigger club. I’d buy him if I was at a bigger club.”
“We convinced him to stay and he’s very happy. All our players might need to leave us one day but a lot of them are happy because we have a top environment, with good people. We push each other.”
With that being said, Mbeumo would definitely be an ideal and high quality upgrade for the right winger role at St James’ Park and it will be interesting to see if Brentford would entertain offers in the new year.