Newcastle United’s qualification for the Champions League on Sunday afternoon will see them be able to attract some of the continent’s biggest stars in the coming months – with the Magpies’ transfer budget set to vastly increase amid their strong end to the campaign.
Eddie Howe’s men had a poor start to the campaign, sitting as low as 12th at the start of December despite having no European football to contend with – but a run of 13 wins in 17 games in the Premier League from mid-December through to mid-April saw them clamber into the top three.
Newcastle Must Complete Mbeumo Deal After Champions League Qualification
Playing alongside Alexander Isak would create a deadly forward line
Although a slow end to the season saw the Magpies cling onto European qualification for dear life, they secured Champions League football for next season amid losses for Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa – and as a result, attention will now turn to the summer transfer window.
And their heightened standing in the game should see them opt for a move for Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo, who has recorded one of the best Premier League campaigns for any non-‘Big Six’ player in recent Premier League seasons. 20 goals and seven assists saw only Mohamed Salah, Alexander Isak and Erling Haaland finish ahead of him in the top goalscorer ranks, and at the age of just 25, Mbeumo has been steadily improving season upon season.
That tally for a wide player is mesmerising, and for a team with Newcastle’s stature, he’d be the ideal signing to fit along with their current stars. Isak is Newcastle’s best attacker, and despite links elsewhere, the Swede will remain a Magpies player for the time being.
Mbeumo has been touted for a move to St. James’ Park for quite a while, and his strong end to the season will only reinforce the idea that he’d be a ‘marquee’ signing on Tyneside, with his goal contributions throughout the season helping Brentford to stay in the top-flight and record a ninth-placed finish for the second time in just three seasons.
The duo have scored a combined 43 goals between them in the current campaign, and the prospect of them playing alongside each other with Harvey Barnes and Anthony Gordon on the left is certainly a frightening one. The Magpies will spend more in the summer, having had a relatively quiet summer window last time out, and with Champions League football under their belt, an array of talent will be brought in to help them progress further as a club.
Mbeumo would be a big miss for Brentford, with the Bees having sold star man Ivan Toney last summer, but a hefty enough fee would certainly be an enticing offer for the west London outfit to reinvest in their squad, which they have done extremely well at in recent years.
