Manchester United legend Gary Neville has explained why he thinks Arsenal and Chelsea should have signed forward Bryan Mbeumo during last summer’s window.
Mbeumo was one of Man Utd’s marquee signings during last summer’s transfer window, joining the Red Devils from Brentford for around £65m.
The 26-year-old grabbed 20 goals and eight assists in the Premier League for Brentford last season and has slotted in seamlessly following his move to Man Utd.
Mbeumo has been one of United’s shining lights this season, contributing 12 goal involvements in his 22 appearances across all competitions.
Neville has been impressed by Mbeumo, but he thinks have been “better for Chelsea and Arsenal” than their current players.
“If you look at it now, Mbeumo would probably have been better for Chelsea and Arsenal than the players they got,” Neville said on The Overlap.
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“I think Joao Pedro had done quite well but Mbeumo… I mean, he would have been a sensation for Arsenal wouldn’t he?
“‘He’s a good signing for Manchester United, a really solid signing. I like him a lot.”
Ian Wright, meanwhile, agreed with Neville’s claim regarding Mbeumo, admitting he was “gutted” that Arsenal did not sign him.
“He always looks dangerous,” Wright said. “When you see how he plays, absolutely [he would have strengthened Arsenal].
“It’s the same with Semenyo, you watch Semenyo and think, ‘I could see him at Arsenal’. I could see Mbeumo at Arsenal as well. Gutted.”
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Instead of Mbeumo, Chelsea signed Alejando Garnacho from Manchester United and there have been mixed reports about his performances this season.
Despite this, Chelsea legend Joe Cole has backed Garnacho, who “could be anything”.
“I would love to coach Alejandro Garnacho. He’s such a super-talented footballer,” Cole told The Sun.
“The sky‘s the limit. He could be anything, he really could. I’d love to go through his clips. There’s a few technical things he can do better from a coaching performance in both boxes.
“Because he’s not like an old-fashioned winger or a number 10, he’s a wing forward. There’s a massive scope if he puts himself in better positions.
“But I also think he might need a little arm around his shoulder and a little bit of maturity in terms of how to conduct yourself as a footballer.”
Cole added: “Let’s just say he’s been controversial throughout his career. I’ve played with players like that and you think the penny will drop when the penny will drop.
“If I was dealing with him, I would have really strict boundaries on the pitch, and off the pitch. Agree them with him, work with him, and just keep reminding him what a talented footballer he is.”