Arsenal to RIVAL Liverpool for PERFECT Salah replacement

Round one in the title race has gone to Liverpool.

They sit on top of the Premier League, a point ahead of Manchester City and already four points clear of Arsenal, whose erratic start to the season continued with a 2-0 loss to Bournemouth at the weekend.

And that gap could be seven points by Sunday evening as Liverpool travel to the Emirates in what is already looking like a pivotal title clash.

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Arsenal will be without star centre-back William Saliba that day - pending appeal - as he was sent off for denying Evanilson a clear goalscoring opportunity at the weekend.

The availability of star right-winger Bukayo Saka is also up in the air, with the English international missing the Bournemouth game due to a knock he picked up on international duty. Arsenal were forced to start former Reds forward Raheem Sterling there instead to little avail.

Arsenal target Salah replacement Mbeumo

As a result, Football Insider are claiming that Arsenal are now looking to strengthen their depth in the position and are targeting Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo to do just that.

Liverpool were linked with Mbeumo in the summer as a potential future Mo Salah replacement. The Cameroonian international has only increased his stock since, topping the non-Erling Haaland scoring charts in the Premier League this season with six goals in eight games - including in the first minute in consecutive games.

The report states that the asking price Liverpool could have secured his services for in the summer was £40m, but clearly the club’s strategy had other intentions, as only Federico Chiesa arrived at Anfield on a cut-price deal.

Mbeumo’s versatility is a key part of his game, with Football Insider reporting that Arsenal value his ability to “provide cover on the wing, up front, or as a second striker behind the number nine.”

Brentford are, understandably, hesitant to see their prolific forward leave at all, let alone in the middle of the season.

With Salah reportedly angling for a three-year deal, Liverpool may pass up on the race for Mbeumo this time.

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