January is a month that is traditionally filled with rumour, speculation, excitement and dashed hopes, as the Transfer Window re-opens for business. It provides the opportunity for some clubs at the wrong end of the league table to indulge in a last chance saloon trolley dash, in the hope of staving off the imminent threat of relegation, and for others to try and find that one special player, who just might help them achieve riches and glory.
In other words, it is a time when common sense often seems to go out of the window, as some clubs, either blinded by ambition or fear, lose all sight of fiscal responsibility and panic and desperation can cloud their judgement.
In other words, for a rational and well-run club like Brentford, where kneejerk decisions are an anathema and they are invariably cold, ordered, measured, analytical and dispassionate in their decision making, it is the worst time possible to attempt to do business, especially in terms of buying, rather than selling players.
In recent years the management team at the club has often decided that with promotion and relegation a highly unlikely long shot, it’s far more sensible to stay pat, keep your powder dry and not run the risk of wasting money at a time when transfer fees are invariably inflated in what is always a seller’s market. Even more so during COVID, when clubs were even more reluctant to sell players and diminish their squad, and therefore postpone any incomings until the close season.
During their spell in the Championship Brentford rarely entered the January transfer market in a serious and concerted manner. In 2015 they signed Jack O’Connell, Lewis MacLeod and Josh Laurent – not to boost their promotion push – but instead as future prospects. Indeed, none of them played a single game for the remainder of the season.
The following season, star defender James Tarkowski and popular midfielder Toumani Diagouraga left for Burnley and Leeds respectively, the former after an unedifying squabble and apparent refusal to play against the club he joined.
In 2017 the will he, won’t he Scott Hogan saga finally ended with the striker signing for Aston Villa at the last moment. This allowed the Bees to sneak in under the wire and make their then record signing of Sergi Canós from Norwich for an initial fee of around £2.5 million, which has certainly proved to be money well spent. What a final day of the window that was with the Hogan and Canós deal followed by a glorious televised 3-0 shellacking of Aston Villa!
Subsequent Januarys saw the club raise substantial funds through selling the likes of Nico Yennaris, Ryan Woods, (after an initial loan) and Chris Mepham, for eye-watering sums.
Incomings have been few and far between. Emiliano Marcondes arrived on a free transfer in 2018 and will always be remembered for his promotion clinching goal at Wembley, although he never quite made the expected impact, mainly because he rarely played in his preferred number 10 role at the club.
Explosively fast winger, Chiedozie Ogbene, arrived at the same time from Limerick and barely played a first team game. He is now making up for lost time at Rotherham, where he has won international caps for the Republic of Ireland.
Shandon Baptiste, Tariqe Fosu and Halil Dervişoğlu arrived to boost our promotion challenge in 2020. Despite his obvious talent, Baptiste’s progress has been curtailed by a catalogue of serious injuries and Fosu flattered only to deceive and soon fell out of contention. As for Halil, he has been away on loan for much of the time and few Brentford fans are under any illusions about him returning to play for the club again.
Last January saw two loan arrivals, one in goalkeeper Jonas Lossl who made very little impact and another in Christian Eriksen who most certainly did. The Eriksen signing exemplified Brentford at their cunning best – identifying an opportunity, planning meticulously and bringing it to fruition to the surprise and chagrin of their rivals.
For the last couple of years, at least, one thing has been certain. Brentford have not sold any of their prime assets in January. The key squad members are all needed to help maintain our progress, whereas in many previous years, if a club met (or, better still even over-met) our valuation of a player, as was the case with Chris Mepham three years ago when Bournemouth offered £12 million, then he would invariably be on his way.
I am sure that the likes of David Raya, Rico Henry, Christian Norgaard, Vitaly Janelt and Ivan Toney have many suitors and admirers, but I cannot see any of them being sold at this juncture despite Brentford’s long-established policy of selling star players at the most advantageous time. Clubs know that we currently have no need to sell unless we are totally overwhelmed by their offer.
As is always the intention, Brentford did their business early this window, bringing in winger Kevin Schade from SC Freiburg initially on loan but with the obligation to sign him for what will be a club record fee of around £20 million. He is a young German Under 21 international winger who has already demonstrated his speed and good close control. I expect that given his size, pace and strength it is intended that he develops and evolves into another Ollie Watkins and eventually becomes a central striker. Schade most certainly adheres to the Brentford blueprint of being young with massive potential to improve, likely resale value and also possessing the key qualities of pace and power
Nobody else arrived as bargains are hard to find in January – and to be frank we really do not have any massive gaps to fill at present.
Fringe players such as Charlie Goode and Tarique Fosu went out on loan to Blackpool and Rotherham respectively and loan berths were also found for Mads Bech (Groningen), Paris Maghoma (MK Dons), Ellery Balcombe (Bristol Rovers) and, of course, Sergi Canós (Olympiacos) of whom more elsewhere in this newsletter. Both Goode and Mads Bech have since suffered serious injuries soon after joining their new clubs which is a real blow to their future prospects.
Mads Bidstrup is a likely future star, and there was talk and perhaps hope about his potential return from his successful loan spell in Denmark but saner heads have prevailed given the increased competition for first team opportunities and he will remain at Nordsjælland to obtain even more match practice at a decent level of the game before ideally challenging for a place at his parent club next season..
The best signings are often the ones that you make from within your existing squad and star midfielder Mathias Jensen, the most improved player of the season, has emphasised his commitment to the club by signing a new extended contract lasting until the end of the 2025/26 season plus an option for an additional year. Most welcome news indeed!
Our injury list is finally diminishing with almost a full squad currently fit and available for selection. This has resulted in our naming a substitutes’ bench against Leeds recently featuring six full internationals – no wonder there has been no real need to bring in more players, probably at an inflated price, this window.
For the second year running, Brentford spent absolutely nothing in the January Transfer Window and I fully expect that our approach – rather than joining the lemming-like rush to spend tens – or even hundreds – of millions, as demonstrated by some other Premier League clubs who shall remain nameless will prove to be the sensible policy.