Arsenal told they missed a trick by not signing Man Utd ace to help Bukayo Saka

Theo Walcott has suggested that Arsenal could have significantly aided Bukayo Saka by securing the signature of Bryan Mbeumo.

The 26-year-old Cameroonian international left Brentford for Manchester United last month in a staggering £71million deal.

Mbeumo was reportedly on the radar of both the Gunners and London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, but he was said to have made it clear to his former club that Old Trafford was his dream move.

Despite both Mbeumo and Saka operating on the right flank, Walcott believes that the former would have been a savvy acquisition for Mikel Arteta, helping to alleviate some of the pressure on the England international.

Since making his debut in 2019, the 23-year-old Saka has racked up an impressive 263 appearances for Arsenal, with little competition for his position throughout his career at the Emirates Stadium.

His lack of a quality backup resulted in him playing a significant number of matches, potentially contributing to the hamstring injury he sustained last season against Crystal Palace, which sidelined him for over three months.

On the It's Called Soccer podcast with Rebecca Lowe, the 36-year-old Walcott was resolute as he stated: "Arsenal should have got Mbeumo many years ago. That was one player I thought, 'Take the load off Saka.' I'm a big fan of him."

Arsenal supporters have already endured a worrying moment regarding their star player after Saka hobbled off during their 1-0 pre-season defeat to Tottenham last month.

However, those concerns were quickly eased when he featured from the start in their 3-2 loss to Villarreal a week after.

Although they missed out on Mbeumo, the north London outfit did bolster their attacking options by bringing in Noni Madueke, whose preferred role is on the right flank.

The former Chelsea winger arrived for £52m and is clearly rated highly by Arteta, who outlined what the England international will offer his squad.

"We're all so happy to welcome Noni Madueke to the team," the Spanish boss said (via the Mirror). "Noni is an exciting and powerful young player, with his performances and numbers in recent seasons being of consistently high quality. He is one of the most talented wide forward players in the Premier League.

"At just 23, Noni already brings experience of club and international football, and he knows the Premier League very well. Having seen the quality of Noni's performances up close in recent seasons, we're really excited he is joining us.

"Noni joins our group with familiar England teammates and other players he knows. He will be made to feel at home straight away. His arrival will really improve our squad - we're all thrilled to have him here.

"From all of us, welcome Noni and welcome to your family." Arsenal will begin their Premier League campaign away to Manchester United on Sunday.

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