Brentford need firepower. Could these three be the answer?

A winger at Arsenal, a rising star from Ipswich, and a goal-machine in France, here’s who might land…

After spotting a rumour linking Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard to Brentford, I dug into other potential incomings, only to find there wasn’t much to go on.

Not that Brentford are being ignored. Sky Sports have been treating the  potentially departing Yoane Wissa saga  like it’s a developing hostage situation. But while high-profile outgoings have dominated all summer, concrete inbound links remain scarce.

Still, with the season just days away, and in the spirit of having heard more than enough about Wissa’s training schedule, I’ve taken a hopeful look at three of the more persistent inbound rumours. Here’s a breakdown of each: how they’d fit, what they offer, and whether Brentford should pull the trigger.

READ ALSO: Brentford aren’t panicking (even if everyone else is)

Image: Leandro Trossard. Credit: James Boyes, Wiki Commons

Leandro Trossard (Winger, Arsenal)

Reports linking Trossard to Brentford came from FootballTransfers and The Hard Tackle, not exactly heavyweight outlets in the scoop world. I’d be lying if I said I’d heard of either before this week, so interpret that however you like.

They claim Brentford have contacted Trossard’s representatives, and while the sourcing is flimsy, it’s at least been echoed elsewhere.

Trossard’s a known quantity. He’s played over 200 Premier League games, can operate across the front line, and brings a calmness in the final third that Brentford are crying out for post-Mbeumo. He looks classy on the ball and chips in with goals and assists fairly consistently. Last season, he averaged roughly a goal or assist every other game when starting and created chances at a strong rate.

Then there’s the money. At £90k/week, he’d blow a hole in Brentford’s wage structure, their top earners are reportedly on closer to £70k. The possible £20–22m fee is manageable, but at 30 years old, there’s little long-term resale value. This would be a now-or-never signing.

Still, you can see the appeal. With Wissa potentially leaving, experience would be seriously lacking from the front line. Trossard would walk into that dressing room with Premier League experience, positional flexibility, and a cool head when it matters. And when you’re potentially re-building without your two best forwards, that counts for a lot.

Should they pull the trigger?

Only if the wages come down. He’s not a perfect system fit, and it’s not one for the long haul, but for a season or two of composure, goals, and grown-up football? There’s a case to be made.

READ ALSO: Four questions looming over Brentford heading into the new season

Image: Omari Hutchinson, Credit: James Cracknall, Wiki Commons

Omari Hutchinson (Winger, Ipswich Town)

This one feels a little more real. Hutchinson’s been heavily linked with Brentford since the window opened, with The Standard and The Sun both reporting that a £35 million bid has already gone in, rejected by Ipswich, apparently due to the payment structure.

A second offer is said to be coming once Ipswich find a potential replacement. Nothing signed yet, but Brentford are clearly in the mix, and Hutchinson is reportedly keen.

He’s a different profile to Trossard: younger, faster, rawer. At 21, Hutchinson saw decent Premier League exposure last season with over 2,500 minutes for Ipswich, a team that battled relegation and rarely looked threatening in the final third. He returned three goals and two assists, which is modest, but showed flashes of the player he could become: energetic, confident on the ball, and unafraid to drive at defenders.

What he offers is directness. He’s a ball-carrying winger who thrives in transition and presses from deeper positions, all very Brentford.

He’s also versatile, capable of operating on either wing or through the inside channels, and his England U21 caps suggest there’s a bigger ceiling if the right coaching brings it out.

There’s a clear trade-off. He’s not a finished product. His final ball needs work, and he’s not going to replace Mbeumo’s goals or consistency straight away.

But if Brentford want a player with long-term upside who fits the way they play, pace, pressing, dribbling, development potential, he makes a lot of sense.

Financially, though, it’s a statement. The £35 million already on the table would be a club record, and while his wages likely sit below the Trossard bracket, they’d still push the top end of Brentford’s structure. This is a proper investment, not a short-term patch.

Should they pull the trigger?

If Brentford are expecting a straight Mbeumo replacement, probably not. But if the plan is to rebuild by committee and invest in a high-upside winger who fits the system, then yes, Hutchinson feels like a smart gamble.

He won’t fix everything on his own, but he ticks a lot of boxes and, with time, could grow into a serious asset. He’s the kind of player who might look quiet in September and indispensable by March.

Image: Arnaud Kalimuendo, Credit: Wiki Commons

Arnaud Kalimuendo (Striker, Rennes)

If Wissa leaves, this is the name that makes the most sense. Brentford have reportedly made contact over Kalimuendo, according to the often-reliable celebrity journalist and Twitter juggernaut Fabrizio Romano.

Rennes want around £27 million, and competition is heating up from Villarreal, Nottingham Forest, and AC Milan. Brentford aren’t known for bidding wars, so if they’re serious, they’ll need to move quickly.

It’s more than apparent why. Kalimuendo is 23, just scored 17 goals in Ligue 1, joint-third in the league, and looks like exactly the kind of striker Brentford can mould.

He’s mobile, presses well, and thrives on direct runs into the box. But there’s more to him than that: he’s comfortable dropping deep, linking play, and drawing defenders out of shape.

The stats help bring that picture to life. He averaged just under 0.7 goal contributions (combined goals and assists) per 90 minutes, and nearly half his shots were on target.

With Mbeumo gone and Wissa possibly next, Brentford can’t afford to lose that level of final-third efficiency. Kalimuendo is one of the few affordable options who might help replace it.

Financially, it’s at the top end of Brentford’s usual spending, but not out of reach. His reported wages are around £25k a week, comfortably within the club’s structure, though you’d assume he’d want more. And at 23, there’s obvious resale value. He’s already played over 100 games in a top-five European league. This wouldn’t be a punt.

Should they pull the trigger?

If Wissa stays, Kalimuendo is a brilliant bonus. Someone who adds sharpness and gives them a real one-two punch through the middle. If Wissa goes, it feels essential.

He won’t replicate everything Wissa or Mbeumo brought, but he brings goals, movement, and a profile Brentford can build around. If they trust the scouting and believe he can handle the step up, Kalimuendo looks like the one to go all in on.

Brentford have already made some smart additions this summer, but the front line still feels like it’s waiting for the real picture to emerge. Wissa’s slow-burn exit saga has become its own subplot, and the transfer rumour echo chamber doesn’t always make it easy to tell what’s real. But if even one of these links comes off, there’s a version of this team that could start the season sharper than expected. And wouldn’t that be something?

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