Bryan Mbeumo: Arsenal, Liverpool & Newcastle given major transfer boost | OneFootball

Brentford manager Thomas Frank has fuelled the possibility that the club will sell coveted forward Bryan Mbeumo this summer, with Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle United all heavily linked with the Cameroon international.

Mbeumo has racked up 24 goals and assists in the Premier League so far this season and is a major reason why Brentford are still within reach of what would be an impressive top-half finish.

At 25, he is proven over several seasons and still offers long-term upside to a potential buyer.

Frank explained that selling top players and reinvesting in the squad is part of the "natural flow" for a club like Brentford, who are no strangers to letting their big names go.

"I lost Neal Maupay, Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney as three key strikers that were 25 goals plus. Every season we replace the goals with other players so I am confident that we can do it again," Frank said.

"We are a selling club, like more or less any other club in the world except the top ten biggest clubs.

"A good squad needs new energy once in a while. So it's not that I just want [Yoane] Wissa and Bryan to go or want to keep them, but there can be all sorts of players. We need energy in the squad, when you get new players in, there's a different energy. But you need to, of course, keep that natural flow."

Mbeumo's goal record makes him an attractive option / Richard Heathcote/GettyImages

It is a significant change in stance from Brentford, who issued an undeniable hands-off warning to Mbeumo's prospective suitors ahead of the January transfer window. "I would say good luck...nothing will happen," Frank said at the time.

Mbeumo has a contract until 2026, with Brentford holding an option to extend by 12 more months. If the Bees don’t sell this summer and the player is set on taking the next step in his career, his market value will still falling once this summer is over and the 2027 expiration gets nearer.

The Telegraph has reported that Brentford are expected to ask for £60m, which is considered a potential stumbling block for Newcastle in particular, even though he has been identified as an “ideal target”. But owing to needs in other positions and the possibility that rival interest from Arsenal and Liverpool could spark a bidding war, there are doubt whether the Magpies can pull off a deal.