Football
Exclusive: Brentford Insist Igor Thiago Is Not for Sale Amid Premier League Interest
Brentford striker Igor Thiago is not for sale in January despite interest from Premier League clubs like Aston Villa, Newcastle, and Tottenham. Thiago, who has scored six goals this season, has been a key player for the Bees since joining from Club Brugge.
Brentford v Liverpool - Premier League by Catherine Ivill - AMA | Getty Images
Brentford are adamant striker Igor Thiago is not for sale in January, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal.
Rumours have circulated that a number of Premier League clubs are vying to sign the hitman who has scored six top-flight goals this season, only Erling Haaland has more.
Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur are all reportedly plotting moves for the Brazilian.
But our sources have been told the Bees have absolutely no intention to sell their striker at the end of the season, let alone when the January sales begin.
Thiago has been a revelation this season under new boss Keith Andrews and has almost felt like a new signing for the Bees.
Initially signed as Ivan Toney’s replacement, when the England hitman was banned for betting offences, Thiago managed just 169 minutes last season as he struggled with a serious knee injury.
With Toney’s move to Saudi Arabia and Thiago sidelined, Bryan Mbeumo and Yoann Wissa picked up the scoring slack last term, with 40 goals between them.
The pair have since moved to Manchester United and Newcastle respectively for a whopping combined sum of £120million.
Successful Path to Premier League
Thiago’s style resembles that of Toney’s. A passionate, strong, bustling forward who so far this season has been deadly in front of goal.
The 24-year-old started his career in his homeland with Cruzeiro before a move to Ludogorets Razgrad, where he scored 21 goals in 55 games as the club won back-to-back Bulgarian First League titles during his two seasons at the club.
His form at Ludogorets earned him a €7.9million, a Bulgarian club record, to Club Brugge in 2023.
But a fine spell of 18 goals in 34 league appearances, helping Brugge to the Belgian Pro League title, saw the player secure a dream move to the Premier League with the Bees.
Brentford paid around £30million, a then club record fee, as Thiago penned a five-year deal at the GTech.
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.