It’s all change at Brentford with manager Thomas Frank and key elements of his back room staff moving to Tottenham – now two crucial members of their team could be making the same journey.
Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa have been linked with a double transfer deal in the summer market, which could reopen with an unexpected Spurs splurge of around £120million.
They scored 39 Premier League goals between them last season with Cameroon striker Mbeumo hitting 20 and DR Congo forward Wissa 19 and if their incredible partnership remains intact alongside a strikeforce which includes England international Dominic Solanke, and which is supplied by James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Brennan Johnson and Lucas Bergvall, it would make the Europa League winners serious contenders for a top-four finish next season.
It would also give Frank added firepower to deal with the demands of his first taste of Champions League football but it may mean losing the services of club legend Son Heung-min, who may consider the time right to ply his trade elsewhere after finally winning silverware with Spurs.
Richarlison could return to Everton to help fund the moves while Cristian Romero, seemingly unhappy Ange Postecoglou was sacked, would also bring in a pretty fee if he is allowed to leave.
Manchester United have been strongly linked with a move for Mbeumo but their defeat to Tottenham means they cannot offer Champions League football next season. They may be able to offer higher wages but the chance to play in Europe’s elite club competition, continue a seamless partnership with Wissa and remain under Frank’s tutelage may be too much to turn down for the Bees star.
Brentford may not be happy about becoming Tottenham’s feeder club but they run a tight ship and a £120million cash injection would be difficult to snub as they seek to rebuild while maintaining their Premier League status.
United have captured Matheus Cunha from Wolves for £62.5m but have their work cut out to land Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres – despite former Sporting boss Ruben Amorim being in charge – and although they are 4/6 with Ladbrokes and Coral to win the race for Mbeumo, they are reported to be drawing up alternative arrangements, including Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace and Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth.
Spurs are 7/4 with bet365 to sign Mbeumo and 4/1 with Coral and Ladbrokes to capture Wissa while Romero is 4/6 with bet365 to stay in N17 and 2/1 with the same firm to realise his dream of playing in La Liga by joining Atletico Madrid.
Club World Cup odds
Chelsea return to action from the shortest of summer breaks when they begin their quest to win the Fifa Club World Cup with a Monday night group match against LAFC.
Seeking to build on a strong finish to the Premier League campaign which saw them punch their ticket to the Champions League, Enzo Maresca’s men are 17/20 with William Hill to win by more than one goal in the handicap market.
New signing Liam Delap is 27/20 to score at any time in his first appearance in a Chelsea shirt.
Draper can challenge Alcaraz at Queen’s
French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz switches from clay to grass when he defends his title at Queen’s and is 20/21 to match last year’s success.
Big things are expected of British No.1 Jack Draper this summer, however, and as he’s in the opposite half of the draw to Alcaraz follow him each-way at 9/2 with bet365 who will pay half the odds just for reaching the decider.
Draper should also be backed at 11/8 with SpreadEx and Sporting Index to win his opening match in west London against American Jenson Brooksby by over 5.5 games.
Greyhound odds
Just over two lengths covered all six runners in a dramatic Greyhound Derby final at Towcester on Saturday when Patrick Janssen’s Droopys Plunge produced a rattling finish to blaze past Irish Derby champion Bockos Diamond and 2024 winner De Lahdedah in the closing strides and win at 10/1.
Watch out, though, for June ’23 puppy Sole Mio, who was fifth despite an unfavourable draw. Pat Cronin’s young gun is huge each-way value at 33/1 with sponsors BoyleSports for the Irish Derby at Shelbourne Park in Dublin which starts in August.
