On 30 June, players of all shapes and sizes will see their contracts expire and will be available for new clubs to sign. The marquee signing of Christian Eriksen was a sign the club can break the typical model and bring on a superstar. So who is available and who would improve the first team?
Goalkeepers
The number of goalkeepers on the books at Brentford is becoming a bit of a running joke, with 9 on the books (Mark Flekken, Thomas Strakosha, Hakon Valdimarsson, Matthew Cox, David Raya (on loan), Ellery Balcombe (on loan), Marley Tavaziva, Vincent Angelini, Ben Winterbottom).
On top of this, deal for US youth goalkeeper Julian Eyestone has been reported as done by Fabrizio Romano.
Despite the high number of goalkeepers, the first choice goalkeeper is undoubtedly Mark Flekken. Flekken made 37 appearances in the league last season and played the most minutes of any Brentford player (3,285).
It was a mixed season for Flekken, by his own admission he had a rocky start, and he showed flourishes of superb quality... and moments Brentford fans would rather forget.
Flekken's distribution has been phenomenal, and the execution of his delivery exceeds the quality of David Raya. Flekken picked up a direct assist in the game against Manchester City, with Jose Sa picking up the only other assist by a goalkeeper across the whole season.
His shot stopping has left a lot of questions though, where at times he has incredible runs of form, with his Save of the Season nomination against Wolves, and a standout save 1v1 with no other than Erling Haaland, but others he lets the team down.
The option for a goalkeeper available as a free agent with the distribution skills of Mark Flekken is non-existent. In fact, many have described Mark Flekken as a 'goalplayer', a philosophy born in Barcelona.
With this in mind, the other way to provide an improvement to the Brentford first team is to bring in a goalkeeper with an unrivalled reputation for shot stopping and a trophy cabinet including a Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, two Europa League titles, and the UEFA Super Cup - none other than David De Gea.
The 33-year-old is still without a club after being released by Manchester United at the end of the 2022/23 season, after he won the Premier League Golden Glove award after keeping 17 clean sheets.
True, he was released as Erik Ten Hag replaced him with Andre Onana, reportedly on the basis of wanting a goalkeeper who was better with their feet. This would contravene the Brentford philosophy, but there were always question marks over how bad David De Gea's distribution really was.
For a team deploying a low block consistently, and relying on shot stopping to protect one-goal leads or collect clean sheets, it is hard to argue against the value David De Gea would bring to the side.
Offensively, he might not provide direct assists and defence splitting passes like Mark Flekken has so wonderfully done this season, but he would certainly save points by keeping goals out.
Verdict: Bring in David De Gea.
Centre back
Brentford are in a position where five centre backs who can reliably play first team football are required, given the default formation when playing against bigger clubs is a five-at-the-back variation. With injuries, suspensions, and the heavy calendar, it is important to rotate options and have backups.
Ethan Pinnock, voted Supporters' Player of the Year in 23/24, is a mainstay in the defence and the idea is to find someone to partner him in the heart of the defence.
Ben Mee signed a new contract, and if he can find the form he displayed in the 22/23 season he is hard to replace, but at 34 he only managed 1,276 minutes of football from 16 league appearances last season.
Nathan Collins is a promising prospect, who started well before emphatically falling off the wagon and being dropped. Over the coming years there is little doubt Collins will be a strong player for the club, but some high profile errors did cost the club last season.
Kristoffer Ajer, on his day, is one of the best Brentford players. The 26-year-old managed to accumulate 28 appearances and 1,832 league minutes last season, his highest in his three-year career with the Bees. He is a giant aerial presence, incredibly passionate and committed to the cause, fast, and comfortable with the ball at his feet. It's the injury history which is the last hurdle to overcome for Ajer to be considered a great Brentford player.
Zanka is the fifth centre-back on the books and his 14 appearances this season, filling in for injured team mates primarily, will be fondly remembered. His leadership on the pitch and clear bond with the other players is something which should be retained within the dressing room, and his performances were pleasing. The 34-year-old Dane is a cult hero, but to improve the squad, it would be Zanka who would be replaced.
Candidates for this position are plentiful, with Premier League winner Joel Matip leaving Liverpool, World Cup winner Raphael Varane and veteran Jonny Evans leaving Manchester United, Real Madrid legend Sergio Ramos leaving Sevilla, and Mats Hummels leaving Borussia Dortmound.
The pick of the free agents to improve Brentford would be Simon Kjaer, released this summer by AC Milan. The 35-year-old has 131 caps for Denmark, who he still captains and will lead into this summer's European Championship, managed 20 appearances for the Italian giants this season.
It might be a one-year contract due to his age, but the leadership and quality he would bring could be a boost for the whole squad, as well as bolstering the strong Danish presence in the club.
Verdict: Bring in Simon Kjaer and look at Jonny Evans.
Right back
The right-back situation at Brentford has been a troubled position ever since joining the Premier League. Fan favourite Sergi Canos spent most of his Premier League minutes deployed as a makeshift right-wing-back. Mads Roerslev has been dependable but must wonder why midfielders and wingers are routinely preferred to him in the position when he is fit and available.
Aaron Hickey was an exciting signing, and when fit he has shown glimpses of real quality which proved why clubs such as Arsenal were sniffing around before Brentford brought him in from Bologna. His injury record is frightening, though, and the serious injury he sustained in 2023 kept him out for the entire season, and the 21-year-old only managed to muster 9 league appearances.
The free agent market is busting with right-sided defenders who could bring a lot to Brentford.
Premier League options include veteran right-back Cedric Soares from Arsenal, who hasn't seen much action in the past two seasons, but was a first-team regular in 2021/22. Kenny Tete has been released by Fulham, a tenacious right-back who has 14 caps for the Netherlands. Despite his affiliation with Fulham, the former Ajax and Lyon man would present an interesting option for the club.
A wildcard option would be Juan Cuadrado, who had an indifferent Chelsea career before being transferred to Juventus for a trophy laden spell and a conversion from right wing to right-back, where he made 314 appearances and picked up 65 assists and 26 goals.
In the current season, he moved to Inter Milan where the club won the Serie A title. Cuadrado was, though, restricted to only 10 appearances as his season was ruined by an achilles tendon injury. He did make several substitute appearances before the end of the season and a thorough medical would be required before deciding if he would be an injury room companion for Hickey rather than a regular starter.
The pick of the bunch, though, is Sergi Roberto. The Spaniard has been at Barcelona for his entire career, racking up 373 appearances for the main squad after 106 appearances for Barcelona B. His most recognised position has been as a right-back, but Roberto has also played over 200 games as central midfielder, and filled in no less than seven other positions.
His 18-year affiliation with Barcelona has come to an end, but the 32-year-old will certainly be able to offer a couple of seasons to most clubs in world football, and would certainly improve Brentford.
Verdict: Break the bank and put on the charm offensive to show Sergio Roberto how he can become a Brentford hero.
Left back
Rico Henry has been one of the best left-backs in the Premier League, when fit. After 5 appearances this season, he suffered a season-ending knee injury in September, and everyone at the club is hoping he will return in time for the 2024/25 season. It was a hugely disappointing injury after he had managed to rack up 71 league appearances out a possible 76 over the previous two seasons.
Sergio Reguillon joined the club on loan and was impressive, especially with his crossing delivery. Where Rico is defensively incredible and possesses frightening pace, Regullion did serve to highlight the lack of quality Rico Henry has in the final third.
While Aaron Hickey can operate well on the left-side, indeed playing there regularly for Bologna, the fact both full-backs were out injured for the vast majority of the season highlights the need for two good players in each position.
The free agent market also has a few tantalising options for left back. The first of which is Layvin Kurzawa, who had an unfortunate loan spell at Fulham in the 2022/23 season where he spent the majority of the season sidelined with a serious knee injury. However, Kurzawa has 13 caps for France and has made 154 appearances for Paris Saint-Germain over 9 years with the club after being signed by Monaco.
Another option with significant Champions League experience and a overflowing trophy cabinet is Brazilian left-back Alex Sandro, who was released by Juventus this summer.
The 33-year-old made an impressive 327 appearances for Juventus after joining from Porto in 2015. Alex Sandro won no less than 12 trophies at Juventus, and leaves as the joint record-holder for appearances by a foreign player, alongside Pavel Nedved.
The extra value in bringing in Alex Sandro would be to support the settling in of club record-signing, Brazilian Igor Thiago. With no other Portuguese speakers at the club, it could be an interesting relationship for a senior player with such a history of trophy-winning to support him.
The other interesting option for left-back is Marcos Alonso, who was released this season by Barcelona after making 45 appearances in two seasons. Alonso joined Barca after leaving Chelsea on a free transfer in September 2022. He is another versatile player who took up multiple positions for Barcelona in his stint there, but it is his 212 appearances for Chelsea which is attractive as an option for Brentford.
He is sadly another player who suffered an injury which restricted his appearances last season, in his case a back injury, and would require a close look on the medical to see if he can be relied upon to consistently be available for selection.
Verdict: The toughest choice, but sign Alex Sandro for his title-winning history and Igor Thiago support, if the issues with Premier League veteran Marcos Alonso's back appear to be career ending during the medical.
Defensive midfielder
Club Captain Christian Norgaard is the automatic first choice for this position, and improving this area of the pitch with a free agent is probably the biggest challenge, given Player of the Season Vitaly Janelt is also a natural defensive midfielder and will be pushing Norgaard for the starting berth sooner rather than later.
Enter stage right, Belgian legend Axel Witsel, who was released this season by Atletico Madrid after making 94 appearances for the club over two seasons. The Belgian star has 130 caps, and was surprisingly announced in the Belgian Euro 2024 squad today after he had announced his internatioanl retirement in 2023.
At 35-years-old, Witsel would be a short-term option, but with 33 league appearances for Atletico Madrid this season, it's clear he still has a lot to offer Europe's top sides.
Verdict: Sign Witsel, although admittedly this is not a priority position for the squad with excellent options at the club already.
Central midfielder
The centre of the park has probably been one of the problem positions for the club, despite the injury crisis not overly impacting the position.
Mathias Jensen has spells where he looks like a top quality player, but the spells when he's off the boil are deeply frustrating (and judging by his body language this season, he hasn't been enjoying his football).
The club has released Shandon Baptiste and Saman Ghoddos, Josh Dasilva is almost permanently unavailable (and has strangely been rewarded with a new contract), and Yunus Emre Konak was signed and was immediately injured.
Vitaly Janelt picked up Player of the Season for the club this year, although his preferred position is defensive midfield, and Yegor Yarmolyuk is a steady if unspectacular option.
Arguably, two strong central midfielders would be beneficial for the club this summer, and there are a range of free agents who could perform a role at the club.
Should the club decide to upgrade on Jensen, an orchestrator could be a valuable option. The talent on the market in this area of the park is exceptional, with three world-class playermakers on the market.
The unrealistic, but tantalising, option to begin with is Luka Modric. The 38-year-old expressed his desire to see out his career with Real Madrid, and his final appearance could be yet another Champions League victory as they face Borussia Dortmund on 1 June.
The Croatian playmaker has an astonishing 174 caps for Croatia, 533 appearances for Real Madrid, and also amassed 160 appearances for Tottenham. His age hasn't slowed him down, as he's played 32 games in the league this season.
One would assume Modric will have his fair share of suitors, if indeed he doesn't ultimately decide to hang up his boots, but he has made it clear he doesn't think the journey is over yet.
The second option from La Liga is the orchestrator Dani Parejo, with the 35-year-old Spaniard released by Villareal this summer.
Parejo is another whose age has not been a barrier to his playing time, playing 70 out of a possible 76 games for Villareal over the past two seasons in La Liga.
He has spent his entire career in Spain, and this could be a barrier to a swansong in the Premier League, but his excellent reading of the game, exceptional range of passing, and status as a set piece specialist would be a fantastic asset to Brentford.
The third option is Thiago Alcantara, the world-class midfielder released by Liverpool. The 33-year-old has been injured for much of his Liverpool career, but his talent on the ball is astonishing and most Liverpool fans were sad to see him leave, despite the large salary his talent demanded. FINISH
Mention must be made of Dele Alli, who has been released by Everton, which is unsurprising as he has had an extremely troubled time over the past few years. The story of Ross Barkley at Luton this season should serve as a reminder that careers are not always linear, and taking him on trial to see if he could settle into the club would be an interesting option.
For the two options to improve central midfield, the first choice is a former Barcelona player released by Everton - Andre Gomes. Over the five years he spent at Everton he made 114 appearances for the club, and before the leg-break tackle he suffered at the hands of Heung Min-Son, it appeared Everton would be a stepping stone for him to return to a Champions League team.
Andre Gomes lit up La Liga, having joined Valencia from Benfica. Barcelona wasted no time, buying Gomes for £46.75m ($60m) just one season at Valencia. He joined Barca and enjoyed three fine seasons for the club before joining Everton, initially on loan, but then signed permanently for £22m ($28m).
Certainly when Andre Gomes signed for Everton it was at a period they were challenging to break into the top six consistently, rather than the relegation battling side the world has started to get used to seeing.
His high wages will have been a contributor to his dwindling influence at the club as they may have sought to move him on as soon as possible. Gomes spent the 22/23 season on loan at Lille, where he made 26 appearances and proved his fitness for top level football.
The next contract in Andre Gomes' career will be an important one, and it is without doubt he has demonstrated true quality both in La Liga and in the Premier League, and he would be a key signing for Brentford.
The second option for strengthening the midfield is 29-year-old Frenchman Adrien Rabiot, who has been released by Juventus. Rabiot has been a longstanding target for Manchester United, and with 31 appearances for Juventus last season it may be that Rabiot is out of reach for Brentford. There would be no harm in enquiring about the availability and interest of the box-to-box midfielder, though.
Rabiot would be one of the most optimistic speculations on the list, especially as a reason for a move to Manchester United to fail to materialise being his "excessive wage demands", but he would certainly be the biggest player in terms of impact to Brentford's ability to move up the table next season.
The attributes of Rabiot are perfect for the Premier League. He is a player who makes big contributions both defensively and offensively, with impressive statistics for duels won, chances created, and ball recoveries.
Verdict: Adding both Andre Gomes and Adrien Rabiot would propel Brentford to the next level alone. Dani Parejo is an attractive option.
Wingers
Another position of strength for Brentford is the abundance of wide players. With Yoane Wissa having a tremendous season, Bryan Mbeumo continuing to develop, and hot prospects Kevin Schade and Keane Lewis-Potter hoping for more chances, it would take some serious quality to force a starting position for Brentford.
There are a number of free agents who find themselves without a club this summer who could perhaps be of the profile needed.
One of the highest profile options would be Alexis Sanchez, who was arguably the best player in the Premier League when wearing an Arsenal shirt. The 35-year-old made 33 appearances for Inter Milan last season, including 8 in the Champions League, as they stormed to the Serie A title.
The majority of his appearances have been as a substitute, but following his disastrous spell at Manchester United, Sanchez has enjoyed a successful revival on the continent.
Another player who enjoyed mixed success in the Premier League was Erik Lamela, who has been released by Sevilla after making 92 appearances for the club. He has made only 13 appearances this season, although one was against Man City on the UEFA Super Cup.
Age may be catching up to the exciting playmaker, but Lamela has shown moments of brilliance throughout his career.
The favoured option, though, would be 28-year-old Anthony Martial, who has been released by Manchester United after a mixed career at the club.
Martial has 30 caps for France, and there was huge anticipation of his ability when he joined from Monaco in 2015, but 9 years on it's a disappointing end to a Manchester United career where a 12-month extension option was not exercised by the club.
There is no way to say a player who made 317 appearances and scored 90 goals for Manchester United was a failure, and the negative perception of his career is more a reflection of 'what might have been' rather than what he has achieved. Once marked as the next Thierry Henry, he failed to live up to that moniker. But he has been a great Premier League player.
Martial took on a loan spell at Sevilla in 22/23, and this indicates a willingness on his part to search out regular first team football over being a bit-part player at one of Europe's top squads.
The environment at Brentford may be the perfect way for Martial to reinvent himself and earn the credit his obvious talent deserves.
A second controversial option to take on would be Willian, who has been released by Fulham after two seasons with the club. The 35-year-old made 31 appearances last season, scoring four goals and registering two assists, showing he still has the engine for another season in the top flight.
His quality would light up the Gtech Community Stadium, with his flair and habit of scoring world class goals. His experience is also tremendous, with 70 caps for Brazil, 339 appearances for Chelsea on his CV, before 37 games for Arsenal and 67 for Fulham.
He would be the second player on this list who would support the settling in of Igor Thiago.
Verdict: Sign Anthony Martial and get over the Fulham link and give Willian a one-year contract.
Strikers
Ivan Toney is the only real natural striker at the club, and all the signs point towards him leaving the club this summer. Igor Thiago has been signed to fill the void, but as a 22-year-old with no experience in Europe's top divisions, it would be prudent to suggest the club could do with a second option centre-forward.
The top clubs across Europe shall be preparing offers to tempt Kylian Mbappe away from his almost certain move to Real Madrid this summer, and Brentford should be no different. However, should the move for the Frenchman not materialise, some other options should be on the table.
Premier League veterans Danny Welbeck and Chris Wood would be options worth consideration, and Bundesliga players Eric Maxim Chupo-Moting and Marco Reus are available.
The two options worthy of most careful consideration present themselves in Michail Antonio and Luka Jovic, released by West Ham and AC Milan respectively.
Michail Antonio is not a certainty to be released, with the 34-year-old having a club extension option which could be triggered to extend his stay another season, but it has been reported for a long time that the club would not exercise that option. With a new manager coming in, it may well be the perfect time to end their association with Antonio.
Joining in 2015, Antonio has gone on to become the club's top scorer in the Premier League over 308 appearances. This season, he made 26 appearances and scored 6 goals, which presents as a downturn in his goal scoring at his heights, but it is his consistent performances and all round play which would be attractive to the club.
The other option for the centre forward berth is Luka Jovic. The 26-year-old has been at a lot of clubs in his career so far, beginning with Red Star before a big move to Benfica.
Jovic spent two years at Benfica where he only managed two appearances, but he secured a loan move to Frankfurt in 2017/18 at 20 years of age where he scored 8 goals in 22 appearances.
It was in his second season at Frankfurt, once a permanent move had been finalised, where he came to life, scoring 27 goals in 48 appearances, and attracting Real Madrid to buy him for £51m ($65m) on a six-year contract.
Sadly for all concerned, the Jovic story at Real Madrid was one of expensive flop. He scored 3 goals in 36 appearances over two seasons before being loaned back to Frankfurt. He did not fully discover his form at Frankfurt, despite scoring 2 off the bench in his first returning game.
Jovic later signed for Fiorentina on a free transfer, scoring 6 goals in 31 appearances before joining AC Milan this year on a one year contract, scoring 6 goals in 23 appearances.
A seasoned international with 33 caps and 10 goals, Jovic has certainly been considered an elite striker, and at the age of 26, he will be looking for a home where he can demonstrate his talent. A club like Brentford where he could settle down and establish himself could be a perfect option for all parties.
Verdict: Bring in Antonio as an option to support Igor Thiago, Luka Jovic could be a superstar but further investigation would be needed.
Managers
Thomas Frank looks set to stay at Brentford for next season following Chelsea's decision to progress with other options, and Erik Ten Hag winning the FA Cup with Manchester United to strengthen the case for him to be given another season.
However, should Frank decide to leave, who should be on the shortlist to replace him?
It is not typical for managers to be free agents for long, at least desired ones, but there are a few interesting options at present.
The first of which is Jose Mourinho, who has been kicked around some of Europe's top clubs over recent seasons, but his love for the Premier League runs deep and he may not be able to resist the opportunity to lead another London club to glory.
Another option would be Will Still, the 31-year-old British manager most recently manager of Reims and overwhelming favourite to take the Sunderland job.
Still is famous for being an aspiring player who was inspired by Football Manager to switch his focus to becoming a coach, and has enjoyed much success in his career to date when clubs have put their trust in him.
Most of his roles, including his stint at Reims, began with him joining as Assistant Manager and taking the Manager role once the boss had been dismissed. Once becoming Reims manager, Still began his tenure with a 14-game unbeaten streak in all competitions (which included two draws against Paris Saint-Germain) ending with a defeat to Toulouse in the cup. However, he extended the run to 17 matches in Ligue 1, setting a new record.
Still was the youngest manager in Europe's top five leagues at 30-years-old, and since he did not hold a UEFA Pro License, Reims were fined 25,000 euros for every match Still managed (until he started a course).
Armed with his UEFA Pro License, Still could be a perfect addition to the Brentford story. Perhaps bringing him in as an Assistant Manager to a more seasoned alternative could be a pathway to developing the next great Premier League manager?
The most obvious option, though, is Graham Potter. Sacked by Chelsea after a poor season, his reputation as a top level manager was cemented through his success at Brighton. Potter has been very patient in selecting his next role, but arguably he could even be an upgrade to Thomas Frank if it was a role he was interested in.
Verdict: Graham Potter.
Starting XI of Brentford Free Agent candidates
GK: David De Gea
CB: Simon Kjaer
CB: Jonny Evans
RB: Sergi Roberto
LB: Alex Sandro
CDM: Axel Witsel
CM: Andre Gomes
CM: Adrien Rabiot
LW: Anthony Martial
RW: Willian
ST: Michail Antonio
Manager: Graham Potter
Disclaimer: This article is a fun look at the free agents available on the market and do not constitute transfer news or even rumours, although it would be nice to see any of these players in a Brentford shirt next season.
Which players do you think would improve Brentford?
David De Gea
Simon Kjaer
Jonny Evans
Sergi Roberto
You can vote for more than one answer.
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