Brentford are in talks to sign 34-year-old England striker Callum Wilson on a free transfer after his contract expired with West Ham at the end of last season. (Athletic), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column
Image source, Getty ImagesBretford's director of football Phil Giles has complimented Frank Onyeka's "fantastic commitment, work-rate and loyalty", after the midfielder's permanent move to newly promoted Coventry was confirmed.
The 28-year-old midfielder initially signed on loan in January with a clause ensuring a permanent switch should the Sky Blues achieve promotion.
Onyeka signed from Danish side Midtjylland in July 2021 in the summer after the Bees secured promotion to the Premier League for the first time.
He went on to make 87 appearances for the club, but was hampered by injuries which prevented him from making a greater impact.
"Frank has been with us since our first Premier League game, and has always shown fantastic commitment, work-rate and loyalty during his time here," said Giles.
"Ultimately, he probably didn't start as many games as he'd have liked, which is why the opportunity for him to move to Coventry made sense for all parties.
"He made a big contribution to their promotion and has earned his chance at becoming a regular Premier League starter with them. Frank will always be welcome back at Brentford and we wish him well for next season with Coventry."
Image source, Getty ImagesWe asked for your views on Brentford's approach for Burnley winger Jaidon Anthony.
Here are some of your comments:
Oscar: I think Jaidon Anthony would be an amazing signing for us. He would bring a lot more depth to our squad and help us push for Europe!
Joe: I actually mentioned Jaidon Anthony a few weeks ago on this page as a potential signing I would like to see Brentford make. From what I have seen of him, I really like his willingness to take defenders on and attack space, which is something we lacked in particular towards the end of last season. I think he could be a valuable addition.
Matt: Good pedigree in the Premier League, assists and goals proven at this level, and with outgoings on the horizon in that position, I think he would be a solid replacement!
Iain: I would see this as a positive bit of business. I feel Kevin Schade is not going to improve anymore and it would be worth looking into a replacement with some passion.
Joe: Anthony would be a great addition. He was strong for Burnley last season and gave us a hard time at Turf Moor. At 26, he should be approaching his prime and would fit in with our culture.
Nick: I'd be happy to follow the management's view, as they've not let us down so far. But, if Jarrod Bowen is leaving West Ham, I'd advise a bid of £30m for him. He's an international, he's proven over years, he's a winger and a goalscorer. His wages will be higher… but, come on!
Image source, Getty ImagesBrentford are in talks with Burnley over a move to sign winger Jaidon Anthony - and we want to know your thoughts.
The 26-year-old is exploring options to remain in the Premier League after suffering relegation to the Championship with Burnley last season.
Brentford have emerged as the frontrunners among several Premier League clubs, with the Clarets expected to want about £20m for a player who contributed nine goals and four assists in 38 appearances last season.
The Brentford move appeals to Anthony, who is from London and started his career in Arsenal's academy, while Bees' coach Keith Andrews considers him a good fit for his style of play.
What do you think about the proposed deal? Is it a good price for the winger or should Brentford be looking elsewhere?
Image source, Getty ImagesWe asked you which players you think would be a great fit for Brentford that you have seen in action at the World Cup.
Here are some of your comments:
Brett: The Bees should be looking at United States midfielder Diego Luna of Real Salt Lake. He has the spark they have been chasing and just missing out on the World Cup squad may make him available.
Shaw: Whilst Igor Thiago gets all the plaudits at Brentford, it is another Brazilian that has caught my eye. Vinicius Junior could bring exactly what we need to West London. Pace, dribbling and flair.
Brian: Argentina's Lionel Messi. If the old boy wants to experience the Premier League before he retires, the Bees might prove the ideal club. Goal goal goal at the Gtech!
Phil Parry
BBC Radio London sports editor
Image source, Getty ImagesA London derby against a new-look Tottenham defence will be an interesting way for Brentford to start the campaign.
The two teams met on the opening day of the season three years ago in Ange Postecoglu's first game in charge of Spurs. That ended in a 2-2 draw but the Bees thought they should have won.
The west Londoners, whose home form was excellent in the front half of last season ,will face Spurs, Chelsea and Liverpool in three of their first four fixtures on their own patch as they look to build some momentum at the Gtech with a couple of tricky away trips to come in the opening month or so of the season.
Last season, Brentford took the race to qualify for Europe all the way to the last minute of the last game, when a Kevin Schade miss at Anfield meant they fell just short.
The last month of the 2026-27 campaign looks tough on paper, with trips to Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City all in May.
Fans will be hoping those games have relevance at the right end of the table for Keith Andrews side.
Image source, Getty ImagesTottenham are a less than ideal first opponent for Brentford, who have only won one of their 10 Premier League games against the north Londoners (D4 L5), their joint-lowest win percentage against any side (10% - level with Arsenal).
They will also need to be aware of Spurs strong opening-day form - they have only lost their first fixture in one of the past 10 Premier League seasons (W6 D3) after falling to a 1-0 defeat by Everton in 2020-21.
Brentford could use a fast start of their own as it has proven rare. The Bees have made a winning start to the season in just three of their past 14 campaigns (D6 L5).
Brentford will begin their 2026-27 Premier League campaign with a home game against Tottenham.
The match will take place on Saturday, 22 August at 17:30 BST, with the Bees' first away fixture against Leeds United on the weekend of 29-30 August.
Keith Andrews' side face Ipswich Town (A), Coventry City (A), Crystal Palace (H) and Arsenal (A) over the Christmas and New Year period.
And they end their league season against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, 30 May, when all games will kick off at the same time.
Image source, Getty ImagesWith the countdown to the 2026-27 Premier League fixture release well and truly on, we asked for your stories of opening-day games - both good and bad - that have stuck in your minds most.
Here are some of your replies:
Sam: Will anything ever beat our 2-0 victory over Arsenal in our first match in the Premier League? It was a Friday night under the lights, with goals from Sergi Canos and Christian Norgaard - a perfect first match in the division. And, for one day, we were top of the league! My 28 years as a Brentford fan, with countless highs and even more lows, are all worth it for that one day.
Coral: First match of the Premier League 2020-21 season which left Brentford top of the table. Admittedly, only one match had been played, but beating Arsenal 2-0 was incredible and the stuff dreams are made of! The 4-0 drubbing of Manchester United the following season in the Bees' first home match wasn't bad either.
Richard: I remember rushing back to London from Norwich in 1982 for our opening game against Bristol Rovers. Brentford had two new strikers - Francis Joseph and Tony Mahoney - and they scored most of the goals in a 5-1 win. It was a 'wow, what happened there?' moment!
Ian: The best was obviously August 2021 at home to Arsenal. Little old Brentford (no more, and for years to follow) winning 2-0 at the Gtech. Everybody gave us no chance, yet we were top of the Premier League for a few hours. The worst was losing at home to Halifax 1-0 in 1972. Those were the Third Division days before the restructure of the leagues to accommodate the Premier League and the Championship.
Lee: Worst opening day - Wolves at home in the 1992-93 season when we lost 2-0. It was our first time back in the second tier since the 1950s. Gary Blissett missed a penalty, Terry Evans limped off with an injury which kept him out for much of the season, and Brentford fans were booing one of our own players before kick-off. It was meant to be a celebration, but we were relegated... Best opening day - no contest, Arsenal at home in the 2021-22 season. If I was offered the chance to relieve one moment from 53 years of following Brentford, it would have to be Canos' opening goal. Our first top-flight goal for 74 years and the type of communal emotional outpouring that maybe only sport can provide. Almost a perfect evening.
Come back to this page at 10:00 BST to see how the Bees' 2026-27 Premier League fixtures have fallen.
Image source, Getty ImagesWe asked you which players you have watched at the World Cup that you think would be a great fit at Brentford.
Here are some of your comments:
Rob: Clearly many of the players would be out of the Bees' reach and our recruitment policy would seek players we could develop. From the games seen thus far, I like the look of Keito Nakamura from Japan, Ben Gannon-Doak of Scotland, Ismael Saibari from Morocco and, as a budget buster, Crysencio Summerville of the Netherlands who played so well for West Ham last season.
Johannes: Summerville has continued his form he showed at West Ham during the latter part of the season in his debut for Oranje. Love to have him as a Bee!
Theo: Brentford need to sign Summerville ASAP - looked insanely good vs Japan. West Ham usually drive a hard bargain though.
Geoff: Gannon-Doak looks a good fit.
Spotted someone you want for Brentford? Let us know who and why he'd fit
Image source, Getty ImagesWayne Rooney, England's second-most capped player at international level, has admitted: "I personally wouldn't have taken Jordan Henderson but I completely understand why Thomas Tuchel has done."
The Brentford midfielder has the chance to make history at this summer's World Cup as the first Englishman to play at seven major international tournaments.
But Rooney doesn't see the 36-year-old "getting much game time" or "pushing for a starting place" over the 39-day competition in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
"The thinking behind it will firstly be to help manage the training sessions the next day after games and to help drive those training sessions, if we are being honest, because he is a leader," he said on The Wayne Rooney Show podcast.
"I know what it is like the day after the game when you don't play. The other players are recovering but you have to go and train. All you want is to be on the other side in the pool or on the bikes.
"The manager might not even be at that training session, he might be speaking to the players from the night before, so Henderson will be there driving and pushing that session to try to keep the standards high.
"In my opinion, that's probably the biggest reason why he is there. He has had a good season, but I don't think he will get used. I don't think he will get much game time.
"Some of the players will be down during the tournament, it is natural for players to get upset at a World Cup. For example, they could struggle to deal with getting stick in the media or not getting game time - but Henderson will recognise that.
"If a player doesn't want to go to the manager with it, they will speak to him and look to him for a bit guidance.
"So I do get why he is there in that sense, but I personally would've taken another player who could push for a starting place more."
Listen to the full discussion on BBC Sounds here
Watch The Wayne Rooney Show on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds
The World Cup may be less than a week old but the 2026-27 Premier League fixtures will be released on Friday.
And to get in the mood, we want your stories of opening-day games that have stuck in your minds most - both the good and the bad.
Get in touch with your memories here
And make sure to come back to this page on Friday to see how Brentford's league fixture list has fallen.
Image source, Getty ImagesWe asked who you think Brentford should keep, loan and sell this summer.
Here are some of your comments:
Tom: Keep - Michael Kayode. He's had plenty of interest from abroad and, deep down, I do believe he'll go, but I think with another year at the club his value could grow. To be honest, I'm not ready to say goodbye to him yet.
Loan - Romelle Donovan. A player with huge potential but he got limited minutes in the second half of the season, despite Kevin Schade and Dango Ouattara's inconsistent performances.
Sell - Schade. He's at the stage where he'd command a big fee without necessarily delivering for us for the past six months. Perfect time to sell and it would be amazing business.
Joe: Keep - Well, this may be the most boring view, but keep almost everyone.
Loan - Younger fringe players should be encouraged to aid development.
Sell - Ethan Pinnock, but only to give him the chance of first-team football elsewhere. He has a lot to offer a Championship club. If Schade wants to go and we can get a good fee, we should also do that deal - but only on our terms.
Alan: Loan - Benjamin Arthur, Benjamin Fredericks or Jannik Schuster. Sending one of our three young centre-backs to a Bundeliga or Ligue 1 club would be great experience for them.
Sell - If the rumoured Hull City interest in Fabio Carvalho is true, I would sell and recoup our initial £20m outlay. He is never going to be more than Mikkel Damsgaard's number two, and Antoni Milambo could fulfil that role next season. I would also sell Schade, but only if we can sign an upgrade.
Ken: Keep - Must give playing time to Donovan as he is fast and plays without fear.
Loan - Yunus Emre Konak needs to go out on loan as he needs match time.
Sell - Schade as has not improved over his time at the club. He is a big lump but will not challenge for 50/50 balls.
Nizaar Kinsella
Football reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesBrentford have offered a new contract to defender Josh Stephenson, promoting him into the first-team picture.
The 20-year-old is expected to sign a new deal to reflect his readiness to play a part in Keith Andrews' squad, or potentially go out on loan.
That pathway decision has yet to be made, but Stephenson is keen to continue his development in west London having bought into the project, and is open to extending his current terms - which run until 2028 - with Brentford holding an option for a further year.
It is also a priority for Brentford to strengthen the academy, which recently gained category one status, and to highlight that progression from youth level to the first team is achievable.
Stephenson joined the Bees in 2024 from Millwall's academy after turning down three contract offers.
He has since become a mainstay in the B team and under-21s but has yet to make a senior appearance, either at his former club or at the Brentford Community Stadium.
He has, however, been named on the bench as an unused substitute on multiple occasions.
Image source, Getty ImagesDamien Duff will join Brentford as first-team assistant coach for the 2026-27 Premier League season.
Duff led Shelbourne to the League of Ireland Premier Division title in 2024, following stints at Celtic, Shamrock Rovers and with the Republic of Ireland national team.
"I've known Damien for a long time," said head coach Keith Andrews.
"I've seen him up close throughout his coaching journey. We've been on courses together and worked together as coaches with the Republic of Ireland national team.
"Damien will bring experience, presence and a real level of detail to our coaching department. He will add to the great group we already have and I'm very pleased that he is joining us."
Change is inevitable at football clubs during the summer months and we want to ask you something specific about Brentford's squad.
Tell us:
One player who should be kept who may be on the fringes and why?
One player who should be loaned out
One player who should be sold
We would love names and reasons for all three - get in touch with your views using this form
The countdown to the World Cup is well and truly on, so here's a reminder of the Bees selected to represent their countries from 11 June to 19 July.
The expanded 48-team competition is set to be the biggest in history, with the United States, Canada and Mexico hosting.
Brentford's World Cup contingent:
Kristoffer Ajer (Norway)
Jordan Henderson (England)
Aaron Hickey (Scotland)
Igor Thiago (Brazil)
The above graphic is based on the 2025-26 Premier League clubs and squad lists
Take a dive into each of the 48 squads here
Read more about the World Cup squads in numbers
Find out more about how to follow the competition on the BBC
Christian Eriksen has given a positive update on his health on his Instagram page.
The midfielder collapsed during the second half of Denmark's friendly against Ukraine on 7 June.
He was fitted with an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) - a type of pacemaker - after suffering a cardiac arrest during a Euro 2020 match against Finland in 2021.
Image source, Getty ImagesWe asked for your views on what one thing needs to change at Brentford before the new campaign and why.
Here are some of your comments:
Adam: We already seem to be making moves in the transfer market. I still think we need an established defensive midfielder. Nunes and Milambo need to establish themselves this year if they are ever to be anything, as does Carvalho - 2026-27 will be career-defining for him. If we end up selling Thiago after a good World Cup he will also need replacing like-for-like. I am sure Phil Giles at the club will have a contingency for this though.
Pete: Thiago had a great return but we need goals from other sources next season - a couple of quality options up front who Andrews has faith to use right away.
George: Very little needs to change as we are a fantastically run outfit. If I'm nit-picking, a better solution to ongoing issues with away fans buying tickets in home seating areas - we know we are a cheap ticket for a London club and so do get our fair share of 'big' club tourists sneaking in, killing off our atmosphere during crucial matches.
Joe: Very little should change in my opinion. The club is in an extremely healthy place and so we should keep doing what we have been doing to get us here. The one thing that should be improved though is squad depth. Having a few more quality options to pick from was what we missed in the hunt for Europe.
Stuart: I would like to see more players chipping in with goals. We are a bit too reliant on one man up front. It would be good if the wide players could achieve double figures next season, and maybe a few more goals from midfield.
Clive: Next season tuck away the chances we create to turn draws into wins and losses into draws. We missed too many sitters this season which cost us a place in Europe and should have easily had more points in the bag.
