Date: 13th October 2021 at 5:00pm
Written by:

We often see teams catch the eye in the Premier League, who are not expected to do so. Last season, that was Leeds United, who came back into the top flight of English football with a bang.

This season, if early games are to be believed, the new team to watch is going to be Brentford. This is the latest chapter in a very long story of progression and dedication from everyone at the football club. Go back to the 2008/09 season, which is only 13 years ago, and Brentford were playing in League Two of the pyramid. Three promotions since then have put them where they are now, and you wouldn’t bet on anything other than this club staying in the Premier League this season, based on what we have seen so far.

The Beginning of a Strong Premier League Start

Brentford have played seven games in the Premier League so far, and they have been beaten just once. Wins have come against strong opposition too, Arsenal on the opening day of the season, Wolves and Aston Villa. They recorded a thrilling 3-3 draw against Liverpool, which felt like a win itself, and so far, they have really shown an ability to mix it up with the big boys and not shy away from taking on some of the very best teams in the world.

This has all set Brentford up to have a very strong first half of the season, and every point on the board is going to be a crucial one. At the start of the season, betting sites had Brentford amongst the relegation favourites, but now, after just seven games, they are nowhere near and looking more likely to finish in mid-table.

Of course, there will be bumps in the road and spells where things don’t go to plan, but when that comes, Brentford should have belief in their squad, because they’ve already proved themselves.

The Brentford Model of Player Buying and Selling

Much of the success that Brentford have had is down to the model they use when buying and selling players. This is a simple approach, all about scaling up and reinvesting into the squad. This started in the lower leagues of the English pyramid, and it is something that the club have used throughout.

Buying players for low prices and then selling them on for big profits is essentially what the club do. However, they’ve gone from buying for free and selling for six figures to buying for tens of millions of pounds and selling for even more.

Two departures last season are a prime example of how this club works. Ollie Watkins and Said Benrahma were brought in for around £8 million combined, and both players were sold on by the club last season. Their return? Over £50 million, which went straight back into the club, some invested, and some saved for later.

In terms of finances, during their climb to the Premier League, since the 2014/15 campaign, every single season has seen them recoup more on transfers than they have spent. That doesn’t include this season, which was always planned to be one they would spend and not sell, as they aim to establish themselves as Premier League regulars. This has been allowed to happen due to big wins in the past, such as the deals involving Watkins and Benrahma.

What Next for Brentford?

The simple answer to this is more of the same. After this season, expect them to revert to the same model which has brought them a great deal of success in the past, but just scaled up once again. This will likely mean regular incoming players that have cost £20 million+, but the club will always have one eye on selling them and making a profit on that.

There is no need to sell anymore, like there has been in the past, as Brentford are where they want to be and have huge revenue coming in just by being in the Premier League. However, there is still more that can be done and if you look at what this team has achieved over the past decade and more, they are a club that wants success, and knows what is needed to bring it.

The move up the pyramid of Brentford has been a fascinating one to follow. Don’t be surprised to see more clubs in the near future looking at this model of buying and selling, and try to replicate it for their own success.

Image from: unsplash.com