Stan Collymore has named the ‘surprise’ Premier League player he thinks Liverpool ‘should consider’ as a potential replacement for Mo Salah if the latter departs Anfield in the final week of the summer transfer window.
The Egyptian has been linked with a big-money move to Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ittihad (Sky Sports), although Jurgen Klopp has insisted that the 31-year-old is ‘100%’ committed to the Reds.
Should our number 11 make a sensational switch to the Middle East, though, one former LFC forward has urged the club to look towards Brentford for his successor – but not at the currently suspended Ivan Toney.
Speakign to CaughtOffside, Collymore said: “Interestingly, it’s actually one of Toney’s Brentford teammates that I think top sides should be taking a closer look at – Bryan Mbeumo – I love him! It may surprise some of you but Mbeumo is my favourite player in the Premier League. I think he’s quality.
“Whenever I watch him, he gets the ball close to his feet, he’s very direct, he makes excellent runs in the channels, he can drop deep, he holds the ball up really well, he is very supportive of his striking partner, he gets in the box and poaches goals, he’s physically strong. I could go on and on. He’s a great player!
“If Salah does end up leaving Liverpool this summer then I certainly think Jurgen Klopp should consider Brentford’s number 19.”
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Despite Toney hitting 20 Premier League goals last season, Brentford haven’t missed him in the early weeks of the new campaign, with Mbeumo the division’s joint-top scorer after three goals in his first two games.
The Cameroonian has netted 16 times in the top flight for the Bees since their promotion two years ago (Transfermarkt), a very respectable strike rate for a club who’ve achieved a couple of mid-table finishes under Thomas Frank.
One of those came in their 3-1 win over Liverpool at the start of this year, outmuscling Ibrahima Konate before firing to the net for the late goal which put the result beyond doubt.
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Mbeumo certainly wouldn’t be a bad squad option for the Reds, but with the greatest due respect, he can’t be considered a like-for-like replacement for Salah, who’s simply been one of the greatest players in the Premier League over the past decade.
We live in hope that the Egyptian’s exit from Anfield won’t occur in the next seven days, in which case Klopp is unlikely to move for the Brentford attacker, with other parts of the squad taking priority in the closing week of the summer transfer window.
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