It’s fair to say that Brentford’s decision to spend €37m on Club Brugge striker Igor Thiago has generated plenty of discussion this week.
The Bees move for the striker, who will presumably be the replacement for Ivan Toney at the club, came out of nowhere, with the two clubs announcing the deal for him earlier this week.
Since then, the discussion over the surprise deal has been consistent in Belgium, and analysts Franky Van der Elst and Johan Boskamp continue that today.
Thiago is set to join Brentford in a €37m deal in the summer after the two clubs did a deal behind the scenes through the January transfer window.
The Brazilian striker has been in fine form for the Belgian side this season, with 16 goals in 24 games in Jupiler Pro League this season and 26 goals in 40 games in all competitions when the Europa Conference League and Croky Cup are added into the mix.
Those are impressive numbers for a player who arrived from Russia in the summer in an €8m deal and have seemingly convinced Brentford to spend over four times that amount to bring him to the Premier League in the summer.
They’re likely to be on the hunt for a replacement for Ivan Toney, who has big suitors after several years of impressing in the top flight since Brentford were promoted.
Whether Thiago can be that man remains to be seen but in Belgium, at least, they’re all just praising Brugge for what is being perceived as a superb piece of business from them.
“In less than a year, for a player about whom there were doubts at the start of the season,” Van der Elst told Het Niuewsblad, relayed by Voetbalkrant.
“His figures are phenomenal. But €37m… Club Brugge had paid €8m. Which is already a lot, right? Does that have to do with Nusa? Is that a coincidence, or less of a coincidence than we think? I know that not. It was cashed well. Kudos to the Club and its scouting.”
“I wouldn’t give €37m for that. Brentford analyzed 45 of Thiago’s matches, I read on Sporza. Forty-five! Did they need those 45 matches to be convinced? It makes me cynical.”
“Well, I don’t know how Vince (Mannaert) did that, but Club can treat him to an expensive dinner on his farewell,” added Johan Boskamp in Het Belang van Limburg.
“And now he is the most expensive outgoing transfer ever in Belgium. Well done by Vince, that can also be said. Wait. At first glance it is built for the Premier League, but the defenders there are of a different calibre than those in Belgium.”
