Brentford

David Lockwood
BBC Sport Editorial Sustainability Lead

Image source, Getty Images

Los Angeles or Chesterfield? San Diego or Salford?

The pre-season destinations of 20 Premier League clubs may be varied, but the issue remains the same - the impact of so many flights.

Half (10) of the clubs have flown to the United States for friendlies; three have travelled to the Far East and the rest are in Europe and the UK.

Manchester United's pre-season schedule see them flying almost 13,000 miles playing fixtures in Norway, Scotland, and across the US. Chelsea and Tottenham are also expected to fly in excess of 12,000 miles.

In contrast, Everton will fly the least, with just one fixture outside the UK in the Republic of Ireland.

Spurs and Newcastle also played an exhibition fixture in May - three days after the season finished - for which they both flew to Melbourne, Australia, a game Alan Shearer described as “madness”. Add in those air miles and both teams will have travelled in excess of 30,000 air miles in the close-season, equivalent to more than once around the globe, to play in non-competitive matches.

Newcastle and Spurs both have a target to be Net Zero by 2030, while Manchester United and Chelsea are in process of establishing an emissions reduction plan.

Net Zero requires the reduction and removal of all 'non-essential emissions' - so are these games essential?

Wycombe's David Wheeler is a leading sustainability campaigner in football and told BBC Sport: "These games are only necessary in the sense that the clubs want to make more money and grow their fan base".

He added: "The vast majority of players don't want to be away from their families, they don't want to be travelling around the world after a full slog of a season. They're overworked and injuries have gone through the roof, so there is a synergy between player welfare and planetary welfare."

An estimated travelling group of 30 flying 12,864 air miles business class generates around 200 tonnes of CO2 - the equivalent of 500,000 miles driven by an average petrol car, or the entire annual emissions for a year of 16 people in the UK.

Tottenham said it is "committed to minimising its environmental impact" in all its operations, "which will take time and effort". The club says it "ensures" all teams travel "as sustainably as possible throughout the season". It "measures, manages and reports on travel emissions" and will offsets "where possible."

Read more about the Premier League's pre-season air miles here

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Brentford striker Igor Thiago is set for a scan on Monday to know the extent of his meniscus injury.

The 23-year-old is hopeful of avoiding surgery after injuring his knee in the 5-2 friendly win over AFC Wimbledon in pre-season last week.

Thiago is a club record £30m signing from Club Brugge and is considered a replacement for England international Ivan Toney, who is expected to leave this summer should a club match Brentford’s valuation.

All parties are hopeful that a pain-free Thiago can avoid surgery and, in the best case scenario, he could return in September after the international break.

Image source, Rex Features

Fin Stevens has joined Bundesliga side St Pauli on a permanent deal from Brentford.

The Wales defender made one Premier League appearance for the club and spent the 2023-24 season on loan at Oxford United.

Speaking to the club's official website Brentford director of football Phil Giles said: "This is an excellent move for Fin.

"He did well at Oxford last season but realistically was in need of at least one more loan before he would be in competition for a full-back role in our first team.

"Sometimes it is therefore better for a player, and better for the club, if that player continues to develop and grow in a new environment with different demands and opportunities."

We asked for your thoughts after Brentford's draw with Benfica in Thursday's pre-season game.

Here are some of your comments:

Charlie: A very good performance, not one weak link. It showed a lot of fans the potential of our squad players as from goalkeeper to the forwards, everybody gave their all for the shirt. Special mention to Vitaly Janelt who showed what a leader he is.

Herzy: Brentford showing that they can not only be a credible Premier League club but can take on a top European side and hold their own. With a mixed first team and B team players they were not out of place. Bring on season four in the Premier League.

Ian: It looks as if some of Brentford's younger players took their opportunity last night. To draw 1-1 against Benfica in Lisbon was not something that I could have imagined in darker days. Brentford are now being recognised for their policy of giving youth a chance. The forthcoming season could be interesting and I am very optimistic. Come on you Bees!

Bryan Mbeumo was on the scoresheet as Brentford drew 1-1 with Benfica on Thursday.

What did you learn from this game, Bees fans?

Let us know your thoughts on the match here, external

Brentford's plans to let Tottenham and West Ham target Ivan Toney leave the club could be shelved after the forward's replacement Igor Thiago suffered an injury in pre-season. (Sun), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

Following the news of a knee injury to new Brentford signing Igor Thiago, we asked you to have your say on how worried you are to have the striker sidelined.

Here are a selection of your comments:

Jake: We were good without Toney and Thiago last season, we'll be fine without them again. Having Mbeumo back is a huge boost. Over the summer last year they improved their build up play, even if they didn't always show it. Looking forward to the new season. The sky's the limit with this team if the fans push them hard and encourage them all the way.

A nervous Bee: This is potentially disastrous. We just don't have the squad depth to handle these sorts of long term injuries to key players, as we discovered last season. One has to question whether we've done our due diligence here.

Kyle: We should do alright for the time he is out, with Mbeumo and Wissa, however let's just hope he recovers quickly.

Ian: The injury jinx has started early for Brentford. Knee injuries, like any, take time to heal. Let's just say, that as the scan is scheduled for next week, the medical team are possibly allowing the injury to settle down before the next course of rehab. This is a setback, so will Brentford hold onto Ivan Toney until after the scan results?

Jabal: Real blow. Our attacking options are Mbeumo, Wissa, Toney and Lewis-Potter. I was really optimistic about Thiago since Lewis-Potter can still improve but is not at the top level yet, Toney only came back in January and has only had seven to eight months after eight months out, Mbeumo gets injured a lot and only Wissa is consistent. Thiago's injury: real blow.

Charlie: It's a shame but we proved last season we could play in different ways and we will again. Come on you Bees.

DVR: How many mirrors did Thomas Frank break?

Image source, Getty Images

Brentford's new signing Igor Thiago has suffered a meniscus injury and will have further scans next week to determine the extent of the issue.

The striker signed from Club Bruges in July - for a club-record fee of £30m - and made his debut for the Bees against AFC Wimbledon last week.

It was during that 5-2 victory that the 23-year-old sustained the injury.

The club have said: "More information will be released in due course."

How worried are you Brentford fans? The striker was reportedly brought in as Ivan Toney's replacement but could face a period of time out, so what now?

Let us know here, external

We asked you for your thoughts on Brentford's pink third kit and green away kit which were revealed earlier today.

Here are some of your thoughts on the "contrasting options" for games on the road:

Cameron: Love the pink shirt, I am definitely buying one. It is just a shame that so many teams have betting sponsors still!

David: Yet again Brentford release an awesome third kit and a so-so away kit. Excited for the green and yellow.

Tib: Pink is ghastly but the green is OK.

Image source, Brentford FC

Brentford have released their away and third kit shirts for the upcoming season, which they say will give their supporters "contrasting options" for games on the road.

The away kit comes in a light pink colour for the first time in the club's history and features a button-down detail neckline and a ribbed collar.

There is purple detailing throughout - on the Brentford badge and striped cuffs - and the new strip will be worn with matching purple shorts.

Brentford have opted for a dark green colour for their third kit, featuring a pattern design on the sleeves that "takes inspiration from the familiar architecture of Gtech Community Stadium".

The striking third option comes in a V-neck style with yellow detailing for the club badge and partners.

Both shirts feature kit supplier Umbro's centenary logo to celebrate the sports brand's 100th anniversary.

These are set to be the club's last kits released with Umbro, as their partnership comes to an end after this season.

What do you think of the new kits, Bees supporters? Have your say here, external

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Brentford striker Ivan Toney remains keen to leave the club and take the next step in his career this summer.

The 28-year-old excelled in substitute appears with England this summer as they reached the final of Euro 2024 - only to lose to Spain.

However, the market around Toney remains slow with no obvious suitors coming forward.

Officials at Brentford accept Toney's position and that he will not renew his contract, which expires in June 2025, even if he stays.

They believe Toney will continue to give his all for the club should a move not materialise but then leave on a free transfer next summer as he seeks to join a team with European football.

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

Image source, Getty Images

It isn't quiet in one specific part of the major football clubs - the acquisitions department.

I know that because I was once the acquisitions department - well me and the manager mostly. While each player returned from holidays like a bronzed Adonis, we were cooped up in a small darkened room, beavering the daylight hours away like vampires.

There is plenty of guesswork in the media and a fair bit of leaking from the players and their people, but the clubs usually try to keep their transfer moves as quiet as possible.

If word gets out that a player is available, they know they might lose him to another club or else the price will increase as a bidding war erupts.

‌These are high stakes games and many are impressed by those who gamble and go early.

Manchester City have always been good enough, and let's be honest wealthy enough, to be able to do this well.

The problem is that some clubs are trying to do the same thing and are ending up paying top dollar for less able players, because they haven't done their due diligence in the market.

This is another area where the use of data, or maybe over-reliance on pure data, comes into play - feed all of the numbers in, let the technology do the crunching, and out comes the answer.

The problem is that everyone else has got the same or similar data.

What is needed, of course, is good human knowledge and the vision to aid the use of the information they have got. This is why these departments should be busy just now, they shouldn't just be doing deals which are admittedly very complex legal and financial documents these days.

Even more time should be spent on ensuring the new £75m player hasn't got a hidden weakness in his game or even the odd skeleton in his closet.

Pat Nevin was writing for the BBC Football Extra Newsletter

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Brentford are closing in on signing Millwall youth captain Josh Stephenson.

The west Londoners are in advanced talks to secure the 18-year-old, who won the Professional Development League Cup and led his team to the semi-finals of the FA Youth Cup, on a five-year contract.

Stephenson has been attracting Premier League interest after an exceptional season at academy level.

He helped Millwall shock Chelsea in the FA Youth Cup quarter-finals, only to be beaten by Leeds United in the last four.

The technically gifted centre-back, who can also play in midfield, also registered 11 clean sheets, scored five goals and laid on seven assists.

Brentford are expected to give Stephenson a prominent role in their revamped B team, with a pathway to first-team football available under Thomas Frank.

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on Brentford's 5-2 friendly win at AFC Wimbledon.

Here are some of your responses:

Terry: A good workout with 22 players used in the game and 10 first-teamers not involved, which shows the depth of the squad when injury free.

Michael: A good start to pre-season friendly and great for the new striker to score two goals. Let's hope he is a good replacement for Ivan Toney.

Chris: Igor Thiago is the real deal and will make us forget about that other striker with the same initials when he is sold! What a debut, what a player, what a beard!

Nick: The 'brains trust' at Brentford continues to thrive. Thiago is the latest in the hall of fame!

Rishi: Happy with the win but lazy defending cost us those two goals. Happy to see Thiago on the scoresheet. He looks like a real menace in the box and should be a good replacement for Toney should he decide to leave us.

Image source, Getty Images

Igor Thiago netted twice on his first Brentford outing, with Yoane Wissa, Kevin Schade and Bryan Mbeumo also on the scoresheet, as the Bees opened their pre-season with a 5-2 win at League Two AFC Wimbledon.

Brentford gave 45 minutes to trialist Stuart Armstrong. The 32-year-old Scotland midfielder left Southampton when his contract expired at the end of last month.

What did you learn from the game, Bees fans?

Let us know your thoughts on the match here, external

Image source, Getty Images

It seems inevitable a host of Premier League managers will point to fixture congestion in the months to come.

When injuries mount, or when time on the training ground is squeezed, coaches often reference the intense nature of the calendar.

But research conducted by the respected CIES Football Observatory has delivered data which shows clubs are - on average - not playing more competitive games than they have in the last couple of decades.

The CIES looked at 677 clubs across 40 leagues. In looking at a period from 2012 to 2024, its findings show in 2023-24, the average club played 42.4 competitive matches. In 2014-15 that figure was 42.6 and in 2020-21 it hit 43.9.

And if focus is placed on sides competing in the Champions League, data gathered between 2000 and 2024 also shows sides are not setting fixture records in the current game, as some managers may like to loosely imply.

In looking at the five major European Leagues, the CIES claim Champions League competitors played an average of 50.8 matches last season.

In 2020-21 they averaged 57.9 and in 2002-03 they contested 55.2.

Manchester United played in 52 competitive games last season, down from highs of 71 in 2020-21 and 66 in 2008-09.

Across all of the clubs analysed, only 4% played more than 60 games last season. In 2012-13, the figure stood at 5.1%.

While clubs may play added friendlies and - it would be fair to say - individual matches tend to be longer given increased injury time in the current game, the data shows that competitive fixture numbers are flat or have in most cases fallen, even if disgruntled managers say otherwise.

The full study is here, external

Image source, Getty Images

The football never stops.

Euro 2024 has barely finished but Premier League clubs have already started turning their attention to pre-season friendlies.

The games are spread across the globe, from Tokyo and New York to Sligo and Crawley.

So who will your team face? And when and where are the matches?

Keep across all the fixtures and results here

Image source, Getty Images

Goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha has joined AEK Athens on a free transfer.

Strakosha, 29, joined Brentford from Lazio in 2022 and has made six appearances.

The Albania international has been named on the bench on 50 occasions for the Bees but has left to play first-team football.

Director of football Phil Giles said: "Like any good player, he will have wanted to play a lot more games. Being a substitute goalkeeper on a regular basis is arguably one of the toughest roles in football.

"We recognise this and therefore we are happy for Thomas to now leave to get back to starting games every week, which I’m sure he will do with AEK."

Image source, Getty Images

Ivan Toney added to his his exemplary penalty record by converting his spot-kick for England in Saturday's Euro 2024 quarter-final against Switzerland.

The Brentford striker was the fourth player to step up to the spot and he converted his penalty without even looking at the ball.

He has only missed one of his past 31 penalties and has been highly praised for his technique that shows "great skill and arrogance".

"Toney eyeballed the goalkeeper," said former England defender Matt Upson on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily at the Euros podcast. "Some penalty-takers do not even want to make eye contact with the goalkeeper, but he goes the other way in the fact he looks at them and not the ball.

"He has such technique and calmness about himself, but then has this menacing glare. It is a great skill and arrogance.

"He is letting the goalkeeper know he is in control. He has total eyes on the goalkeeper so he can tweak where he is going to hit it when he sees an empty side of the net.

"He addresses penalties with psychology being more important than technique and that is true. All the England players are capable of scoring penalties but it is how you are feeling that matters.

"It is all mind games and that is why his record is incredible."

Listen to the Football Daily at the Euros podcast on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

Rico Henry says he "can't wait" to be back playing for Brentford after recovering from an ACL injury which has kept him on the sidelines since September.

The Bees defender has also set his sights on receiving his first senior international call-up, after watching the Three Lions' current left-back predicament at Euro 2024, with the aim of representing England at the 2026 World Cup.

Henry revealed his motivation to hit the ground running in an interview on Brentford's club website, external: "It would be a dream come true. I played for some of the youth teams, but getting a senior cap is one of my main goals.

"That is what everyone plays football for: to feature for your country.

"I know I had a chance before I got injured, but people reminding me that I can still do it really encourages me. I just need to come back, stay fit and play well."

On England's current Euro 2024 campaign, the 26-year-old added: "It has been difficult watching England playing without an out-and-out left-back, because I know I could do a job there.

"When I've watched them this summer, I just feel like I could fit so well into that team. It has been frustrating not being there, but it has also been great to watch."

The club also confirmed Henry will be available for the Bees' first pre-season friendly against AFC Wimbledon on Saturday, 20 July.

Image source, Getty Images

Goalkeeper David Raya has said his transfer to Arsenal is a "dream come true".

The 28-year-old has signed a long-term contract with the Gunners after spending last season on loan from Brentford.

He made 41 appearances - and his 16 Premier League clean sheets earned him the Golden Glove.

Spain international Raya spent four seasons with the Bees after joining from Blackburn Rovers in 2019, helping them win promotion and then consolidate their place in the top flight.

"After a year on loan as a Gunner, I can finally say that I'm an Arsenal player for the coming years," he said.

"It's a dream come true to be here and I want to thank you for all the support you have already given me throughout the last year."

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta added: "David showed us last season what an important player he is for us. He is a big presence in our dressing room.

"We know he will take the strong foundations he put in place last season and build on them in the years to come, and that he will enjoy more success with us."

Image source, PA Media

Ivan Toney has said he used advice given to him by Brentford's sports psychologist Michael Caulfield to help with "controlling his emotions" in England's last-16 win over Slovakia at Euro 2024.

With England trailing 1-0 and on the brink of exiting the tournament, manager Gareth Southgate brought on Bees striker Toney in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

Southgate told the BBC after the match that he thought Toney was "disgusted with me for putting him on at that moment", but Jude Bellingham's stunning equaliser a few seconds later took the match to extra time, before Toney set up Harry Kane for England's winning goal.

Toney was asked at a news conference on Wednesday about how his mood had changed so quickly, to which he said that Caulfield's words had played a part.

"He's always talking about controlling your emotions," said the 28-year-old. "I feel like, in that moment, it was time to control your emotions.

"Yes I'm annoyed, but there's still 30 minutes of football to play and you've got to come out of that mood and focus. You've got to play your part and I managed to do that."

Those minutes against Slovakia were Toney's first at Euro 2024, having been an unused substitute for England's three group games. It is an unfamiliar feeling for Toney who has always been a starter for his club side when available to play.

"It's always going to be tough for all of us [not in the starting XI) because most of us play week in and week out for our clubs," he said.

"From the beginning of my career, I've gone down this route a few times of being a sub and being patient to come on. Hopefully when I get my opportunity I can take it."