Brentford

Tasnim Chowdhury
BBC Sport journalist

Brentford boss Thomas Frank has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Liverpool (kick-off 16:30 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On whether Ivan Toney will be in the squad this weekend, Frank said: "Who knows? Let's see on Sunday what will happen. Ivan trained the whole week, he trained with a good attitude in every aspect. So he could be involved, he could not. He could be here after the 30th, he could not be here. Basically, everything is up in the air. I said the whole time, if he's here, I'm very happy. If he's not here I am happy on his behalf."

• On signing Sepp van de Berg from Liverpool: "I think he is a great player with an even bigger potential. A good age for a young centre-back that played quite a significant amount of games in the Championship and in the Bundesliga. I heard the rumours about Leverkusen, if that is true, then I think it is a statement that players want to come to us over other top clubs and we know that we are interesting because we have a fantastic environment, we have a good team, good club and we are growing."

• On his squad: "We need a strong squad. We saw last year that we had a lot of injuries, we were unlucky, some of it in the defensive side. We lost Zanka [Mathias Jorgensen], so we need another one. We always want to sign one depending on what we need. Can we get a player that can lift the bigger picture, the bigger level, plus have potential to grow? That's always the best and we managed to get that in Sepp."

• On Rico Henry, who is recovering from long-term injury: "Rico is progressing very well and hopefully he'll be ready to join the squad soon. He's trained every session here with the full squad with no restrictions. He's so electric, so he catches the eye quite easily. I'm excited about it. I've been here close to eight years, and he is the only player who has been here the whole time, so it's quite emotional to see him coming back. I'm very pleased."

• On Arne Slot and Liverpool: "We are going into a fantastic team, against a good manager. I followed his work with Feyenoord, of course seen his pre-season games, the Ipswich game and it looks good. He tried to add layers to the fantastic job [Jurgen] Klopp did. He inherited a fantastic team. The team that started against Ipswich is a fantastic team. I saw some awesome stats. At home, they are so frightening, I expect them to be an unbelievably difficult task. We know we have the capacity to go anywhere and try to win it. We will go there and try everything we can to win it."

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We asked for your views on Brentford's signing of centre-back Sepp van den Berg from Liverpool in a deal reported to be worth £25m.

Here are some of your comments:

Gabe: Very happy with this signing. We needed defensive reinforcements and signing a young player like Van den Berg is a brilliant bit of business from Brentford as we have a few aging centre-backs.

Mark: Yes he seems a good player, but I thought we would be after a decent wing-back as ours are both injured while we already have Pinnock, Collins, Ajer and Mee.

Rhys: Good to be getting some players, especially defenders, into the squad. However, we should be more focused on signing some wing-backs.

Mahogony: Trained by Liverpool and wanted by Leverkusen. Good signing written all over it.

Conor: Finally, we have a wing-back replacement for Henry if he gets injured. Van den Berg will do wonders for us, let's hope he's available for the Liverpool game.

Brian: Why are we buying all these defenders? We desperately need a holding midfielder with experience and quality.

Ray: Slightly puzzled with the number of potential centre-backs we now have on our books, yet we have not had dedicated full-backs for nearly a year and that's what cost us last season. Roerslev is ok, but not a first XI Premier League full-back.

Brentford are set to wrap up a £10m deal for 18-year-old Brazilian winger Gustavo Nunes from Gremio. (Fabrizio Romano, external)

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

Brentford head coach Thomas Frank has said new centre-back Sepp van den Berg is a "great signing for the club and the team" after the 22-year-old joined the Bees from Liverpool.

Frank added: "Sepp is a centre-back with a good level and he has the potential to develop even further. He fits our culture and the way we want to play; he is quick, he reads the game well and is composed on the ball in the build-up and in the decisive defending actions.

"Sepp is a great character and I am convinced that he will fit in well with the group and help us to push forward."

Brentford fans, how do you feel about the signing?

Have your say here, external

Nick Mashiter and Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport football news reporters

Image source, Getty Images

Burnley are holding firm on their £15m valuation of defender Dara O'Shea - with the defender favouring a move to Wolves.

The 25-year-old is eager to make the switch to Molineux - returning to the West Midlands having previously played for bitter rivals West Bromwich Albion - but Wolves are yet to meet the Clarets' asking price.

They have offered around £13m for the centre-back but, with Brentford having previously bid £15m, that remains the asking price.

The Bees have signed Liverpool defender Sepp van den Berg in a deal believed to be in the region of £25m, leaving their position on O'Shea unclear.

Any deal for O'Shea is not imminent and is likely to go into the last week of the transfer window.

O'Shea has made 39 appearances and scored five goals for Burnley since moving from Albion last summer. He scored in the Clarets' 4-1 Championship opening day win at Luton and also played in their 5-0 victory over Cardiff.

Wolves are in the market for a new centre-back having sold Max Kilman to West Ham for £40m but boss Gary O'Neil's spending power is restricted.

He is not expected to be able to make many signings before the closure of the window next Friday, despite also selling Pedro Neto to Chelsea in a deal worth £54m.

Wolves have made a loan offer, with an obligation to buy, for Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale but the Gunners would prefer a straight sale. Any deal is also likely to go into the final week of the window.

Image source, Getty Images

In a run stretching back to 1939, Liverpool have won each of their past five home games against Brentford. The Reds have also kept a clean sheet in each of those matches.

Brentford and Wolves are keen on Burnley defender Dara O'Shea, 25, but they must pay £15m to sign the Republic of Ireland international. (Mirror), external

Brentford hope to scupper Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso's efforts to sign Sepp van den Berg from his former club Liverpool, with the Reds set to demand £25m for the Dutch defender. (Times - subscription required), external

Want more transfer news? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Wolves want to beat Brentford to Burnley defender Dara O'Shea.

A centre-back is a priority for the club having sold captain to Max Kilman to West Ham for £40m.

But Gary O'Neil's spending power is restricted despite also selling Pedro Neto to Chelsea in a deal worth £54m.

O'Shea came through the ranks at Wolves' bitter rivals West Bromwich Albion and made 107 appearances for the Baggies.

The 25-year-old joined Burnley last summer but was unable to help keep them in the Premier League. O'Shea has played in the Clarets' opening two Championship games, scoring in the 4-1 win at Luton.

Ian Westbrook
Fan writer

Miracles do happen - Brentford have beaten Crystal Palace in the Premier League at the seventh time of asking!

It has been a frustrating summer with the Ivan Toney transfer saga continuing, his replacement Igor Thiago immediately being injured and both our first-choice full-backs still sidelined.

With our first four away games at Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham and Manchester United, early home points are crucial.

Although we rode our luck at times on Sunday, once again it was the team’s togetherness which sealed the victory.

Six of the starting XI played for us in the Championship five years ago and they, and the newer players, have a strong bond with the supporters.

For at least 10 years, the players and staff have done a lap of the pitch to thank fans after every home game - win, lose or draw.

After Premier League victories, this turns into a bit of a party, which at times is mocked by visiting supporters.

Sunday's post-match celebration felt even more special than usual, given the summer and the struggles last season, when we only won five home matches.

The team spirit was summed up by Yoane Wissa pushing new signing Fabio Carvalho in front of the other players to receive his own applause.

One player who was missing was of course Toney.

He has been great for us and will be missed. However, good players leaving is what has got us where we are, so we thank him for what he has done, and wish him all the best, safe in the knowledge that we have the talent to replace him.

Find more from Ian Westbrook at Beesotted podcast, external

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Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton says a potential move to Saudi Arabia for Ivan Toney "should be a no-no" because he is only 28 years old "and in his peak".

The Brentford forward has been linked with moves to several English clubs this summer as well as a switch to the Saudi Pro League.

"It is such a waste for Toney," said Sutton on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club. "It doesn't mean he can't go to Saudi and come back to a Premier League club, but why doesn't he just wait for another season and then get a move?

"He has had the high of the Euros so his career is in a really good place at this moment in time.

"From Brentford's perspective you can understand that they will want a high fee, but purely from a footballing perspective it would be such a waste him going to Saudi. At this stage of his career, it should be a no-no really.

"A fit and firing Toney alongside Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbuemo can be unplayable at times.

"We've talked a lot about Arsenal needing a striker, but I think he would be a good fit for Manchester United too.

"Going to Saudi at 28 years old makes no sense. You can have all the money in the world but this is him at his peak so I would like to see him stay in the Premier League."

Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds

Brentford expect Ivan Toney to join Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League and are hoping to receive about £50m for the striker. (Times - subscription required), external

However, Chelsea could be tempted into making a late move for Toney. (Sun), external

Want more transfer news? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Brentford and Crystal Palace.

Here are some of your comments:

Brentford fans

Fred: Great game and we finally beat Palace in the Premier League. They are a good team who are very well coached. A couple of nervy moments but our defence seemed to be stable and Flekken was unbelievable. Onto Liverpool now

Matt: Some incredibly slick passing and hard battling helped us beat a resilient Palace, but some sleepy defending could have cost us more than it did. Still unsure where Carvalho starts but excited for the season nonetheless!

Stefano: It was a tricky win by Brentford against Palace, but a deserved one! They didn't need Toney either, but would be sad see him go, nevertheless.

Palace fans

Steve: Disallowed goal is a major talking point. But, Palace were far too open on the counter attack. Munoz and Richards looked vulnerable, while Wharton did seem off the pace. Brentford are an average team, and were there for the taking. Yet this defeat may be a blessing in disguise, reminding everyone that considerable improvement is still needed.

Gavin: No question that it was a disappointing performance. We seemed to lack cohesion and a directness, both of which were in abundance at the end of last season. On the balance of play, it is a game that we should not have lost but we thoroughly deserved our equaliser, albeit an own goal. Defensively we need to improve for West Ham.

Christian: Very frustrating all round. Wasn't a good performance by any stretch, but it wasn't helped by incompetent officiating. If that was Sam Barrott's trial, it didn't go well. Supposed to be the best league in the world, and it is let down by the referee's time and time again.

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Wolves have already been told by Brentford they do not want to sell Yoane Wissa.

The Bees had made their stance clear before the forward scored the winner in the Sunday's 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace.

With the possibility Ivan Toney could leave the Gtech Community Stadium Brentford boss Thomas Frank said after the Palace win he wants Wissa to stay.

Wolves are looking for reinforcements after selling Pedro Neto to Chelsea - who come to Molineux on Sunday - for £54m and Wissa is on the list.

The 27-year-old has been at Brentford since joining from Lorient in 2021 and has scored 30 goals in 111 appearances.

Wolves boss Gary O'Neil does not have a pot of gold to spend and a centre-back to replace Max Kilman, after his £40m move to West Ham, is likely to be the priority.

Image source, Getty Images

Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy believes Brentford are showing "variation" in their play and their building from the back shows the versatility of head coach Thomas Frank.

The Bees opened their Premier League season with a 2-1 home victory over Crystal Palace and were without star striker Ivan Toney amid reports linking him with a move away.

"I think there's a misconception around Brentford from people who just think they are set-plays, direct, long-throws and a long ball team," Murphy told Match of the Day 2.

"I saw a lot of Brentford last season, they can vary the play.

"Against Palace there was a huge emphasis, more than in any of the games I saw last season, on playing out from the back.

"It was very brave, maybe an adaptation because of Toney's absence. Igor the new signing is injured too, the man who was probably going to replace Toney.

"There was real confidence. It was high-risk. Palace had a press, they didn't just let them do it and some of the movement and play of Brentford coming out was of really high quality.

"If you took away the colour of the strip, at times you could mistake them for City or Arsenal.

"This is not easy to do. To play out from the back with the quality they have and then get end product - it is with penetration and positivity.

"They're brave to get out and when they get out they have width and pace with Wissa and Mbeumo. Two players playing with confidence with a real threat.

"This is a really positive Brentford side. I was really impressed, they had variation. Sometimes Thomas Frank doesn't get the plaudits he deserves because his team is not a one trick pony. I don't think they will have any problems this season."

Watch Match of the Day 2 on BBC iPlayer

Image source, Getty Images

Brentford forward Yoane Wissa says his partnership with Bryan Mbeumo is so good that he could pass to him "blind".

The strike duo were both on the scoresheet as the Bees beat Crystal Palace on Sunday in a game in which Ivan Toney did not feature.

Toney was left out by Thomas Frank, amid links to Saudi Arabian side Al-Ahli, but Brentford did not look like they were missing their most prolific scorer.

"Even blind, I know where Bryan is," said Wissa after setting up Mbeumo's goal.

"He's going one-on-one more, and he'll be very happy he scored. I'm happy to work with him."

Image source, Getty Images

The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards says "it is a really tough time of the season" for managers because the campaign gets underway while there is still so much speculation during the transfer window.

Thomas Frank chose to omit Ivan Toney from the matchday squad against Crystal Place because of "transfer interest" in the striker.

"They took the decision to leave him out but we all know how important he is for them," said Edwards on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily Podcast. "But the doubts about his future have been going on for a long time now.

"They ended up winning the game even without playing their best player, but it is not an easy decision for a manager to make.

"Every manager would like the transfer window to end before the start of the season."

Listen to the Football Daily Podcast on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

Highlights and analysis from Sunday's two Premier League fixtures, plus the best of the action from the rest of the weekend.

If you missed Match of the Day 2, catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

And you can watch Saturday's Match of the Day here.

Listen back to the weekend's full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Arsenal 2-0 Wolves

• West Ham 1-2 Aston Villa

• Brentford 2-1 Crystal Palace

• Chelsea 0-2 Man City

Representatives of Brentford and England forward Ivan Toney, 28, are in talks with Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli. (Teamtalk, external)

Manchester United are not interested in pursuing a deal for Toney. (Sky Germany, external)

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

Joe Rindl
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Brentford's win came despite manager Thomas Frank telling Sky Sports before kick-off that Ivan Toney had been left out of the squad because of "transfer interest" in the England striker.

Asked if Toney has already played his last match for Brentford, Frank said: "Who knows? There is interest. It's not close."

If Toney was to leave, replacing his goal threat is likely to be a talking point throughout Brentford's season.

And that may prove a tricky challenge given Brentford's summer signing, centre-forward Igor Thiago, remains out until late 2024 after picking up a knee injury in pre-season.

On Sunday it was forwards Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa who found the net.

The pair have history stepping up with Toney out of the side. They scored 21 league goals between them last season in a campaign where Toney was banned for eight months for breaking Football Association (FA) betting rules.

The form of Mbeumo and Wissa may be key for the Bees this term too.