Brentford acquires club record signing from Club Brugge

Premier League club Brentford have started preparing for the 2024/2025 season by swiftly moving into the transfer market and making their first signing and also their transfer signing.

23-year-old Brazilian striker Igor Thiago joined the Bees after initially agreeing to join the club in February, as he became the club’s first Brazilian player. 

Thiago’s move was made in anticipation of a possible Ivan Toney’s exit as the English forward enters the final year of his contract with the club while attracting interest from elsewhere.

Meanwhile, the Brazilian striker joins from Belgian club side Club Brugge for a £30M club record fee after he scored 18 goals in 34 Belgian league matches to help Brugge’s title-winning campaign become a success. He describes the move as a source of happiness while mentioning his anticipation and hopes of winning titles and laurels.

“I’m very happy to have signed for Brentford and to get to know the club. It’s an immense source of happiness for me, to be able to play for this club in the Premier League. I think that throughout my career since I left Brazil, I think that’s what I was looking for – to gain good energy, win titles, make a name for myself, make history.” Thiago said.

He won the best young player of the season in the UEFA Europa Conference League last season and scored 29 goals in 55 games in all competitions last season.

Before Club Brugge, Thiago was previously with Ludogorets until 2022. He will wear the number nine shirt at the GTech stadium.

Before Thiago, Brentford was close to signing Leeds United midfielder Archie Gray, but the negotiations collapsed due to the price structure Leeds United demanded, which Brentford couldn’t meet.

Reports also indicate that the Bees are competing with Chelsea to sign Leicester City’s Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.