As the summer 2026 transfer window has drawn to a close, let's take a look at all five of Brentford’s summer signings in what has been a record-breaking two and a half months for the club.
This summer was purely about tidying up the squad, adding depth, and retaining all of our key players. It’s safe to say it was a successful period for the club, as high-quality, Premier League-ready players came through the door in the absence of major outgoings.
1. Jaidon Anthony (£17m from Burnley)
Kicking off the summer spend of north of £100m was the signing of Jaidon Anthony from relegated Burnley.
An impressive return of 8 Premier League goals in a hugely underwhelming side meant Anthony was sure to return to the top flight this summer. That he did, in the form of a move to West London.
Signing a proven Premier League winger for less than £20m, in my eyes, is a fantastic piece of business. By no means a complete world-beater at this moment in time, but a vital addition to the side in a position that required reinforcement.
On top of this, Anthony delivered a strong start in a Brentford shirt with a hat trick of assists in a 6-1 win over Birmingham City. A strong performance was rewarded with a start at Elland Road on the weekend, playing 60 minutes in an impressive team performance going forward.
Experience, competition, and reinforcement all for a very reasonable fee. 7/10 for me.
2. Jannik Schuster (£13m from RB Salzburg)
Typical Brentford.
Just 20 years of age, Jannik Schuster is the epitome of a Brentford type of signing. Unknown, young, raw, and certainly carrying excitement around him.
Signing for Brentford at such a young age with 3 professional seasons under his belt and Austria U21 caps is certainly an impressive CV.
A solid 90-minute debut against Birmingham City demonstrated his ball-playing ability, but also showed that there is so much developmental work to be done. Hardly surprising from a player born in May 2006.
Clearly a talent, as shown by the substantial fee the club were willing to spend on bringing him to West London. With time, Jannik will prove his worth. One for the future with already promising signs. 7/10.
3. Callum Wilson (free agent)
After 12 long years in the making, Callum Wilson has finally pulled on the red and white stripes of Brentford after signing on a free transfer following the end of his West Ham contract.
A cliché in the football world, but this is the definition of a ‘shrewd signing’.
34 years of age with 11 seasons of Premier League football laced with consistent goalscoring. Undeniable quality with no real signs of slowing down and dropping out of the Premier League any time soon.
After scoring 7 goals for a relegated West Ham side, including the highest amount of goals off the bench last season in the entire league (4), Wilson is a fantastic coup for the squad. As far as back-up strikers go, Wilson is just the type of player that you look for, with a very similar profile to that of Igor Thiago.
What’s not to love about a free signing providing a wealth of experience, explosiveness, goals, strength, and competition for Thiago? 8/10 in my eyes. A real top-notch bit of business.
4. Mamadou Sangaré (£39m from RC Lens)
One of the Premier League signings of the summer. It is incredibly hard to disagree.
Without doubt, this is a lot of money to spend on one player, but with every minute that goes by it looks like more and more of a steal. This is, of course, a small sample to judge a new signing off, but Mamadou Sangaré has looked like he feels right at home in the Premier League following his summer switch from Ligue 1.
In the Ligue 1 team of the season last campaign, Mamadou also completed the most tackles and interceptions out of any player in the entire league. Renowned as one of the best defensive midfielders on the continent.
As a result, Mamadou arrived with expectations to live up to and looks to have more than delivered so far. A stellar player of the match winning performance against Spurs on the opening day was followed up with a performance at Leeds on the weekend that has once again caught the eye of the neutral. His ball-winning ability and progressive play work is second to none. The man is a complete machine, and just the player that Brentford have been in need of to complete the squad.
The hype is real surrounding him. Deservedly so. 9.5/10. Superb work once again by the club.
5. El Hadji Malick Diouf (£35m from West Ham)
Last but certainly not least is the arrival of El Hadji Malick Diouf for another hefty sum.
This is a signing that we will have to wait and see on. A young, raw, exciting modern-day full-back that offers high energy in offensive scenarios. Due to the way that Keith Andrews looks to play going forward by incorporating full-backs, it is unsurprising that the club have dropped a substantial amount of money on one of the best crossers of the ball in the league last season.
Erratic at times, but a force to be reckoned with. Diouf will no doubt make mistakes and be caught out on the back foot, but on the front foot, he will very quickly show his worth.
A riskier signing from the club, as it is well known that he is not yet the full package. I feel that there is a seriously talented player here that, when given trust and license, can add another layer of quality in a position where strong competition is needed.
Lots of money, but a young and exciting player who will soon be getting fans off their seats. 7/10.
