When Brentford signed Brazilian striker Igor Thiago from Belgian club Club Brugge for €33 million almost two years ago, expectations were huge, but it was almost immediately a downturn, with large parts of his first season disrupted by injury. – This season is incredible and far beyond the already high expectations.
Igor Thiago signs new long-term contract – and is named Premier League Player of the Month
Manchester City, Chelsea and Bayern Munich are still interested in Brazilian striker Igor Thiago (24), despite him signing a new contract with Brentford. “It’s going to be a race leading up to the summer transfer window, a race that will cost the winner much more than €33 million, if there is a winner at all.
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Top scorer Igor Thiago has signed a contract extension that will keep him at Brentford until 2031, with an option for a further year.
The 24-year-old Brazilian striker is second on the Premier League scoring list this season with 17 goals in 26 appearances and of course also top scorer for Brentford – which has helped the west London club climb to seventh place in the table. Only beaten by Erling Braut Haaland who has 22 goals.
“In the beginning, when I first arrived, I suffered the injury. The staff and the people around the training facility helped me and supported me,” Thiago said the day after Thursday’s 1-1 draw against Arsenal in connection with the signing of a new deal.
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“When the supporters support me, and I see them singing my name and singing my song, it gives me more power. I’m really happy for all the love they’ve given me. It means so much.”
“It’s brilliant that Thiago has committed his long-term future to the club,” head coach Keith Andrews told Brentford’s pages.
“The connection he has with his teammates, staff and supporters, as well as how much the club means to him and he means to us, is pretty clear for everyone to see.
“He’s been a hugely important player for us, so it’s a contract he fully deserves, and I’m really happy that the club have been able to get it done.”
It’s a day of double celebration for the striker, who has also been named Premier League Player of the Month for January, after scoring five goals in five games, including a hat-trick against Everton.
It is the second time this season he has won the award, after also receiving it in November.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” Thiago said.
“I’ve asked people at the club how many Brentford players have won this and they told me that no one had received this trophy before me. So I’m really happy to have won it twice now and I’m looking forward to, hopefully, winning more!
“I would also like to thank all the staff and all the players for their support and for helping me on the field.”
About The Wayne Rooney Show This Week
Former Everton striker exchanges stories with a player he looked up to early in his career, former Toffee Francis Jeffers. Rooney’s brother John also has a lot to say before his Macclesfield side face Brentford in the FA Cup.
Jeffers – assistant to John Rooney at Macclesfield – says Brentford “100%” will show more respect for the Silkmen than Crystal Palace did when they were humiliated in the third round.
Jeffers said: “The backroom staff with us, the people in the office are already telling us that Brentford want to bring the team, the squad, to look at the pitch at 12pm that day. So, you know, they don’t want to go there and be surprised like Palace, so, like you said, that giant murder has kind of woken Brentford up and said, listen, we’re not going there and we’re not going to allow that to happen.
“But we just have to let our boys enjoy it. It’s an incredible occasion, we said that to them in the last round, didn’t we? Guys, you know, I actually said to them, thank you so much for where you’ve brought us here, by the way, because I’ve had some great days in football as a player.
“It’s probably one of the best days I’ve ever, ever had. And it was all thanks to the guys, and I thanked them. And I would say the same to them. You know, after John gives his team talk, you know, I want to say to the guys, thank you. Make sure you go out and enjoy the opportunity. And what happens, happens. No one expects us to win. But, you know, there might be a slight element of surprise because we’ve done it before.
“I think our boys might quietly want to give Brentford a real challenge.”
