The perfect right winger for Newcastle United

by TomTalksToon · 6 June 2024, 07:00

If you asked which positions Newcastle need to upgrade, 99% would mention our right wing as a massive priority. One great option on the market is Brentford's Cameroonian winger Bryan Mbeumo, who looks set to move this summer.

Mbeumo seems set to move away from Brentford this summer, saying recently: "I want to play in the biggest competitions, in the best clubs. It’s still enticing to see some big teams interested in me. We'll see." Newcastle have been linked via @lequipe, so let's analyse why he'd be a great fit at Newcastle United.

Firstly, we all know Eddie Howe loves a player with Premier League experience. Think what you want of Eddie Howe's bias; it undoubtedly makes signing Mbeumo very low risk and means he'd need no time to adapt.

His output is great, having registered nine goals and six assists in 21.78 90s (25 apps) in the Prem last season. In 2023, he had the third most goal contributions (12 goals and 10 assists), only behind Mohamed Salah (22 goals and 13 assists) and Bukayo Saka (13 goals and 10 assists). His already impressive output would only improve in a goal-scoring Newcastle United side.

https://twitter.com/BrentfordFC/status/1698078346809127392

Mbeumo has a wand of a left foot, and is great at whipping the ball far corner when coming inside, something he'd do a lot in our system. We've seen our LWs get plenty of goals this season, but from the right we've needed consistent goals for a while now.

On top of his high threat coming inside against rested defences, he is also a massive threat in behind. He has great pace which makes him even more dangerous:

https://twitter.com/i/status/1659907743665250304

Mbeumo can use both feet and is a good decision maker. He uses his left whenever possible however is capable of using his right when needed to, as seen in his assist for Wissa against Burnley. His pace means he can often make space easily on the outside of a defender to cross.

We know by now that an Eddie Howe player must work hard. Mbeumo fits the bill; he is a willing presser and hard worker which would fit our high-pressing and high-intensity system.

His age profile and versatility only make him an even better option. At 24, he has room to grow, plenty of experience, and high potential sell-on value down the line. He can also play as a striker, as seen when Toney was suspended and Mbeumo filled in nicely with 4 goals and an assist in 8 games.

Despite there being plenty of positives, there are some potential sticking points:

Height (5 ft 7): Mbeumo doesn't win too many of his aerial duels (34.3%).

Creative numbers: They're not elite, but they're also not bad at all, let's compare some data:

Expected Assists per90:

- Almiron: 0.12

- Gordon: 0.16

- Murphy: 0.24

- Mbeumo: 0.26

- Olise: 0.35

Overall, for me, Mbeumo is a fantastic option who is just waiting to explode at a club that maximises him. There's a UCL level player to be unlocked, just needs the right team and coach to make it happen. Think it'd be difficult to take him from Brentford, but if possible, he'd make a fantastic signing for Newcastle United.