Brentford director of football Phil Giles has insisted that they can’t wait for striker Igor Thiago to arrive at the club, believing they’ve secured a star of the future.
The Brentford director has been speaking to Het Laatste Nieuws about the impending transfer after a deal for the Club Brugge striker was agreed earlier this year.
The Brazilian will be joining the Bees in the summer after they paid more than €30m to sign him earlier this year, doing a deal behind the scenes ahead of the summer transfer window.
The forward is likely to be the replacement for Ivan Toney, who has been heavily linked with a move away from the club in the summer after impressing since their rise to the Premier League.
Those are big boots to fill but Thiago will arrive with a growing reputation after an impressive first season in Belgium that’s seen him score 29 goals and register five assists in 53 games so far.
The move had been questioned as Thiago struggled following the announcement of the transfer, enduring a goalless streak and finding himself doubted from all corners.
It seems Brentford are not concerned, though, with Giles insisting they’re convinced about the player they’ve signed.
“We brought in Thiago because of several facets,” he said.
“His physical strength is incredible. His pressing: the same. His work rate is enormous. That’s where his attitude comes in handy. He is a nice boy who dares to knock on the table when necessary.
“Igor will always be committed. I think that is also the reason why Club Brugge sold him before the end of the season. They were confident that he would not drop out mentally, precisely because he is not wired that way. It is an important quality of Thiago, and also one of the reasons why we pushed to get him.
“We had to pay good money to buy Thiago. But everyone within our club was convinced that it was the right choice. We like to bet on young players with growth potential.
“We think Thiago’s ceiling is very high. He has proven that he can adapt to a higher level – first Bulgaria, then Belgium, now in Europe. We have a lot of confidence that he can bring that to the Premier League as well.
“We have seen the real Thiago in recent weeks. We are of course very happy with that here in Brentford. We can’t wait to work with him.”
