Should Arsenal take a chance on Mbuemo?
I’m not going to waste time discussing the ridiculous League Cup ball incident this morning. It’s just another way to criticize Mikel Arteta for answering a simple question. Whatever.
What I do want to focus on is that we’re nearly a third of the way through the January transfer window, and so far, there’s been no mention of Arsenal’s potential to do business in the next three weeks.
That worries me a bit. Sure, it’s only January 9th, there’s still plenty of time left, and transfers are complicated and don’t happen quickly, but even the rumor mill seems to have come to a standstill. It doesn’t even sound like we’re actively looking at the market.
Maybe I’m overreacting. I’m a fan, I love the club, and I want to see improvement. I tend to overreact, and since I don’t work in football, I don’t know how things really work. But these days, there are so many eyes on everything that it’s impossible for any club to keep a transfer completely quiet. The whispers, insider leaks, journalists reporting on talks with players or clubs—it all usually builds up, then floods the media. The fact that we haven’t heard even the smallest hint of anything is concerning.
A reasonable response might be, “Transfers are tough. You don’t want us to sign just anyone, do you?” But surely, everyone supporting Arsenal must be feeling the same way: we need some kind of boost, right? You can’t tell me that with all the players out there and the investment in scouting, there’s nobody who could improve us. The question, “Who would you sign then?” is also a bit dismissive. If I were paid to find players to improve us, I’d like to think I could come up with a shortlist of 30 potential targets. Of course, you have to work out the deals with the selling club, the player, agents, and so on, but there are definitely players who could bring that spark we need, and that spark could lift the team.
I’d love for us to talk to Brentford about Mbuemo. We’ve done business with them before, having signed Raya, and I suspect that with them comfortably mid-table, he’d be eager for the move. He’s a player who would fit into our squad and hopefully wouldn’t break the bank. He’s reportedly on around £75k per week and has about a year and a half left on his contract. It feels like a good move now, given he’s Premier League-ready, but in the summer, I’d want us to look for that big star. I guess I’m contradicting myself here because I’m suggesting a move now while also saying we need to go bigger in the summer. But this just highlights the tricky situation Arsenal—like most clubs—find themselves in. Still, a move for Mbuemo could strengthen our forward line while leaving room for a big striker signing in the summer. I hope the club is talking to Brentford to at least gauge the price. TransferMarkt values him at €50 million (around £42 million), and I suspect if we offer £45 million, Brentford would likely accept. Sure, they’d be reluctant to sell in January, and yes, they’d miss his form and goals—13 goals and 3 assists this season—but as a club with a model that would see that £45 million reinvested in several players, they might be open to selling. With them not in a precarious league position, now could be a good time to see if they’ll budge.
What do you think? Would you go for someone like Mbuemo
