Football
Exclusive: Brentford Confident Improved Contract Will Convince Vitaly Janelt to Stay Amid Frankfurt Interest
Brentford are confident an improved contract offer will persuade German midfielder Vitaly Janelt to stay at the club amidst interest from Eintracht Frankfurt. Janelt has been a key player for the Bees, helping them secure promotion to the Premier League in 2021. His contract is due to expire next summer, but talks are ongoing for a potential extension.
Newcastle United v Brentford - Carabao Cup Quarter Final by Alex Dodd - CameraSport | Getty Images
Brentford are confident an improved contract offer will persuade German midfielder Vitaly Janelt to stay at the club amidst growing interest in his signature, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal.
Contract talks have stalled between the Bees and the Janelt, with former Brentford boss Thomas Frank now heavily-linked with a move for the player.
Janelt was signed by Frank in October 2020 having impressed the Dane with his performances for German Bundesliga outfit VfL Bochum.
Brentford snapped the player up on a four-year deal for just £500,000, a mere snip in today’s inflated transfer market.
And since the now 27-year-old has gone to play 197 games for the Bees, with156 of them in the English top-flight.
Janelt played a key role, playing 41 league games as the Bees clinched a famous promotion to the Premier League in 2021.
And he was a regular starter for the club during the course of the next four seasons in the Premier League before slipping down the pecking order under new boss Keith Andrews.
Brentford’s biggest challenge now lies in fending off mounting interest in in-demand striker Thiago, with the club adamant he is not for sale, though, as ever in football, a substantial offer could test their resolve.
LACK OF STARTS
This season has yet to start a Premier League game this season, having been used as a substitute in all of the seven games he has been selected for.
Janelt started the club’s EFL Cup home clash with Aston Villa in September, but was withdrawn at half-time and has played just 145 minutes in the Premier League this season as he continues to try and cement a regular starting role this season.
A troublesome heel injury has not helped him in the past six months, but the midfielder has yet to impress Andrews enough to start this season.
Janelt has already been linked with a move to German club Eintracht Frankfurt with the player’s contract due to expire next summer.
But there is still time Brentford and Janelt to agree a new deal, with the midfielder understood to be keen to extend his stay at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Neil has been a journalist for longer than he'd care to remember, having written for national newspapers and respected publications for over 25 years. For the last three years he has worked freelance for BBC Sport, working on the production desk as a sub-editor and also as a writer, covering a whole range of sports.