Arsenal did consider making an offer for Brentford winger Bryan Mbeumo in the final few days of the summer transfer window, according to the Daily Mail.
The English tabloid claims that the Gunners “explored” a move for the Cameroon international before opting to sign Raheem Sterling on loan from Chelsea instead.
Mbeumo is a left-footed forward so he would have been an ideal signing to provide cover for Bukayo Saka on the right-hand side of the front three.
The Gunners have been keen to take some of the workload off Saka who doesn’t really have a like-for-like replacement in Arsenal’s squad.
Why didn’t Arsenal pursue a move for Mbeumo?
There are a couple of reasons why a deal for the 25-year-old didn’t progress far. The transfer fee required to snap him up would likely have proven too costly.
Mbeumo effectively has just under three years left on his contract, with Brentford having an option to extend his stay until the summer of 2027, so the Bees are under no pressure to sell.
Secondly, the sale of Ivan Toney to Al-Ahli meant that Thomas Frank’s options up front had already been weakened, especially as his replacement Igor Thiago was already sidelined with injury.
Can Arteta get the best out of Sterling?
Considering the Gunners have brought in a proven forward in Raheem Sterling, fans will not be that concerned that they lost out on Mbeumo.
Manager Mikel Arteta built up a close relationship with Sterling during his time as assistant manager at Manchester City and it will be hoped that he can get the best out of the player again.
The 29-year-old did struggle to replicate the form he showed at the Etihad after making the switch to Chelsea two years ago so Arteta will need to light a fire under him.
