Football
Exclusive: New Igor Thiago Deal Won’t Deter Suitors — Only Record Fee Will Tempt Brentford Sale
Top Premier League clubs are monitoring Brentford's star striker Igor Thiago, who has scored 17 goals this season. Arsenal, Manchester United, and Chelsea are all interested in the Brazilian hitman, who has been a revelation for the Bees. Thiago is contracted until 2029, with a hefty price tag of £71 million.
Brentford v Sunderland - Premier League by Shaun Botterill | Getty Images
A number of top Premier League clubs are monitoring Brentford’s star striker Igor Thiago, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal.
Today, Brentford have moved to protect their prized asset by tying Thiago down to a new contract running until 2031, with an additional option year included either to deter mounting interest or to secure a potential record-breaking fee.
Aston Villa were linked with the Brazilian hitman earlier this season, but the winter window passed without alarm for the Bees in terms of their top scorer.
But our sources have been told a trio of heavy top flight hitters are eagerly awaiting to see whether or not the west London outfit secure a dream European place for next season ahead of a potential summer pursuit.
League leaders Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea are all understood to have discussed the in-form marksman, who has been a revelation at the GTech Community Stadium this season.
Arsenal (Viktor Gyökeres) and United (Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Šeško) both spend big on centre forwards in the summer, but expected more from their signings who are all yet to hit double figures this term.
Only Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland, who has won the Premier League Golden Boot in two of his first three seasons in England, has more than Thiago’s 17 strikes this term.
The bustling 24-year-old hitman boasts one of the highest goal conversion percentages in the league with only Bournemouth’s Junior Kroupi’s (32 per cent) being better among the top 22 scorers this season.
Smart Buy
Signed as a replacement for Ivan Toney ahead of last season, for a Belgian Pro League record €38million, Thiago played only 168 minutes as suffering a serious meniscus injury during a pre-season friendly and then frustratingly got injured after a brief comeback.
He has felt like a fresh signing this season for Keith Andrews’ side and has been a nuisance for opposition defences all campaign as he picked up the scoring slack left after Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa left for Manchester United and Newcastle United respectively.
It is understood that only a club-record sale, surpassing Bryan Mbeumo’s £71 million, would tempt the Bees to part with the player.
Shane is an experienced sports journalist with over a decade on the front line, covering everything from football to horse racing. A familiar face in the snooker pressroom, his work regularly appears in the Daily Mirror, Daily Express, and Daily Star, alongside SportsBoom.
While snooker is where many readers know him best, cricket is his true sporting passion, though he tends to keep that side of him separate from his professional beat.
A staunch traditionalist, he’s unlikely to share your enthusiasm if you believe The Hundred is the future of Test cricket.