Brentford sign Igor Thiago from Club Brugge

The Bees have reached an agreement with the Belgian side to sign the Brazilian striker for a club-record fee of around £30m.

Thiago has signed a five-year deal with the Premier League club, which includes an option to extend by a further 12 months.

The 22-year-old will see out the remainder of the season with Club Brugge before linking up with his new Brentford teammates ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.

«I'm very pleased that we have been proactive as a club,» Brentford head coach Thomas Frank told the club's official website.

«Big credit to Matthew Benham, Phil Giles and Lee Dykes for the hard work they have done. We are ahead of the curve. We have signed a key player for a key position.

»Thiago is a very exciting striker who fits the role in our team. He is hard-working and a very good pressing player. He is also a physical presence, very good in the box and can link the play.

«He's progressing well in the Belgian league, so there is big potential and we are looking forward to seeing him in a red and white shirt.»

The striker began his career with Brazilian club Cruzeiro before he completed a transfer to Bulgarian side Ludogorets in 2022.

After scoring 21 goals in 55 appearances for Ludogorets, Thiago earned a summer move to Club Brugge ahead of the current campaign.

Thiago has continued to consistently find the net in his new surroundings, having registered 26 goals in 40 competitive matches this season.

News of the forward's move to Brentford comes amid uncertainty surrounding the long-term future of England international Ivan Toney.

The 27-year-old has less than 18 months left on his contract, and Frank recently admitted that it is likely