Brentford's direct style of play has sparked back into life since Ivan Toney's return; with Igor Thiago arriving on July 1 when the summer transfer window opens, Thomas Frank and his scouting team have lined up the ideal replacement - should Toney leave
Thursday 15 February 2024 11:53, UK
Are Brentford already preparing for life after Ivan Toney? In Igor Thiago, the 22-year-old Brazilian forward signed for £30m this week from Club Brugge, Thomas Frank is getting ahead of the curve.
"I'm very pleased that we have been proactive as a club; big credit to Matthew Benham [the Brentford owner], Phil Giles [the director of football] and Lee Dykes [the technical director] for the hard work they have done," Frank said.
"We have signed a key player for a key position. He is hardworking and a very good pressing player. He is also a physical presence, very good in the box and can link the play."
Brentford have the option of extending Thiago's five-year contract, which starts on July 1, by one year.
Toney recently returned to action after serving an eight-month ban for 232 breaches of the FA's rules for betting on football - and Bees boss Frank reiterated this month that the striker "will probably be sold this summer".
"It is relatively obvious," Frank said when asked if Brentford would be without Toney next season. "We also know what he is worth. I don't think there are many strikers in the world who are better than him right now."
With one England cap to his name, Toney wants to further his career and is on the radar of several top clubs across Europe and the Premier League, including Chelsea, while Arsenal are also reported to be keen, but the west London club kept hold of their talisman in the January transfer window.
With interest in the 27-year-old set to ramp up again at the end of the season, Brentford have moved early to ensure they are not scrambling for a Toney replacement at an inflated price.
The arrival of Thiago should soften the blow. Born in Gama, he had to grow up fast following the loss of his father at a young age. Thiago supported his mother financially by working in construction.
His break in football came as a result of his brother being on the books of Gremio Ocidental but it was only when regional club Vere FC offered him the chance to make the grade that his footballing career began to take shape.
Four years ago, as an 18-year-old, he made his professional debut for Cruzeiro in their Campeonato Mineiro encounter with Boa Esporte Clube. Like most Brazilians, the dream was to one day move to Europe to test himself further and to better support his family.
After 10 goals in 64 appearances for Cruzeiro, the opportunity came to join national champions Ludogorets in Bulgaria. For Thiago, this was a complete culture shock but an obstacle he would grab with both hands - he scored on his debut before notably recording an 11-minute hat-trick during an 8-1 victory over Botev Vratsa last April.
It was not long before his impressive one-in-two goal record was alerting the attention of bigger clubs. After scoring 16 goals in 34 league games at Ludogorets across the 2022/23 season, Club Brugge paid €8m (£6.8m) to sign him on a four-year contract - a record fee received by a Bulgarian club.
In the Europa Conference League this season - including qualifiers - he has scored six goals in 12 games. In the group stage, only Gift Orban, Benjamin Nygren and Eran Zahavi scored more as Club Brugge qualified for the last 16.
Brentford are recruiting a poacher. Seven of his 16 league goals this term have come from inside the six-yard box, while a further six have been scored from the penalty spot.
Neal Maupay has benefitted from the return of Toney as a focal point, as seen by how the striker used his physical presence to provide a non-assist for the Frenchman's opener in the 3-1 defeat at home to Manchester City.
Maupay, who is on loan from Everton with an option to make the transfer permanent, could feed off Thiago's appetite for an aerial duel having won 35 balls on such occasions - the seventh most across forwards this term in Belgium.
The 6ft 2in striker has also made 23 key passes to demonstrate he is more than just a finisher but someone Brentford fans can expect to provide link-up play in much the same way Toney drops deep to combine with his midfielders at the Gtech Stadium.
Brentford's direct style of play has sparked back into life since Toney's return. With Thiago arriving on July 1 when the summer transfer window opens, Frank and his scouting team have lined up the ideal replacement to compliment his playing style.
