It seems that Hull City will complete their second transfer from Brentford in under a week with want-away striker Andre Gray poised to sign for a reported £9m fee.
Gray, who looked set to make the switch last week along with Moses Odubajo, was left out of the Bees’ starting eleven for the Championship curtain-raiser with Ipswich as, according to reports, the player felt he was not in the right mindset… However, when called upon, the striker came off the bench to underline what a dangerous player he is, and scored the goal (pictured above) that ignited the fight-back from 2-0 down.
Once again, if this move is rubber stamped after a reported medical on Tuesday, the news will divide opinion amongst the supporters – some will see the fee, which is more than Fabian Delph went to Manchester City from Aston Villa for, as too good to turn down with the player and his agent intent on moving… others will be critical of Brentford’s perpetual selling culture.
What’s your view of the potential move? Share your thoughts with Beesotted in the comments box below.
Dave Lane
*** SINCE THIS ARTICLE WAS POSTED, WE HAVE SINCE LEARNED THE GRAY DEAL IS OFF AGAIN … on .. off .. on .. off .. on .. off .. *****
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Would be gutted to see him go but always knew it would have happen one day didn’t see it happening quite so soon. Should hang on and have a disgruntled player who could also get injured at anytime or take the money. Well put it it this way £9m is way over the odds and we can do a lot of good with that plus the Moses money – sorry but we have to take the cash it’s a no brainer IMHO
I would love Andre to stay, I think that this season will see him improve further with the experience of last season and the addition of more specialist coaches at Jersey Road.
However, Matthew has stated that he wants to build a sustainable Brentford and the “stastical model” means identifying under valued talent and improving them, to then realise true value by selling at a profit. The selling at a profit part of this is critical for the sustainability of the plan.
If we get the fee rumoured then we have to sell him after just 1 season – but what a profit that would represent, and therefore, how much more we could invest in talent for this season.
The management used to say that we would not stand in the way of a player making a move to improve his career, and if we were to do so then that player’s attitude may dip which would not help the club.
Again, I’d love him to stay but we cannot keep him if the price is right. But I wonder who we could sign as his replacemnet, and Moses’s and Stuart’?
Your comments are spot on of course they will be replaced with quality undervalued players if our past signings over the last couple of seasons are anything to go by, big Nick being the only exception, any ambitious player worth his salt will look at what Andre and Moses have achieved in only a year with the bees and the transfer fees they are attaining knowing that the club wont stand in there way if the fee is right, hes quite shrewd devil is Mr Benham isnt he as ever onward and upward bees
At Hull, he’ll have lots of MISSES: DOUBT (he’ll) FIRE on all cylinders there
With faster wingers and midfielders to feed him and another class striker at his side I think you will see the best of him in this side.
I hope so for that price!! Come on son do your best!! Back of the net back of the net!!
Wonder who’s ROBIN who, could be WILL I AM!
$7m+ is great business for the club, especially for raw talent. That money represents a fantastic return and demonstrates how the recruit & develop model is intended to work. The money can be reinvested and it seems likely that this time we won’t need to unearth a gem in the depths of non-league. A real shame not to see Gray fulfill his potential at GP but we are profiting from the market not losing out. Innovators will always be one step ahead of the competition. We are now wealth creators and can turn that to our advantage. It’s hard to imitate and it’s sustainable. What’s not to like?
Is this 7 upfront fee and then 2 mill in extras (appearances etc) or a 9 mill straight fee?
I agree, 9 million is mad. Gray was good/very good at times last year, but to be valued at that amount he should be brilliant. He missed so many chances he should have scored 30 instead of 18. I wish him luck and hope we get an even better striker with the money!!
Totally agree,take the money and get this lad in from Utrecht who looks mustard!
I don’t understand selling to a rivel championship club
I am fearful for this season now – best players being sold and unproven foreign players being bought. We need established quality british players as replacements. Warburton going may be huge mistake. Also what has happened to lewis macleod?
Warbs has gone get over it and move on Benham hasnt got alot wrong has he only big nick and the pitch so far.
Unfortunately you will be losing one of your top players but again it shows that there are very good, British players out there who are getting their chance to break into the big time. We have also has to endure losing some of our best players but are replacing them with others that are just as good and hungry for success. From 500k to 7 Mil plus is exceptional but I’m sure you will now search out other hungry players ready to take their place. I think it is credit to both Brentford and the Tigers how they have brought on youth and they are now getting their chance, the signing of Andre is the icing on the cake for us and with him and Akpom up front it poses to be a very exciting season for us and underlines our intent. It’s not a lot of fun being whipped every week in the Prem League so we are going to enjoy this season and hopefully be better prepared this time for promotion should it come. Wish the Bees all the best this season and hope you go up with us.
To all the dj grinder boys in brentford how does it feel to be the new crewe of the championship,always selling the best players for profit and not building a team for ambition?
Great pay the price you can have him just give us the bloody money at least we have a bees fan as a owner not some looney Asian
He is great player and I would love to see him stay. But as you have said its bloody good buisness. We will find another talent nobody has heard of (like Gray. I bet not many Bees fans had a clue who he was before we signed him) and put faith in them. They will shine and it might be that we sell again. That’s the way we do buisness now. But it’s our job as supporters to support, and like the guys making the deals let’s have faith in these new ‘who are ya’ players. It’s a hell of a lot more exciting than watching route one against Bury. Remember where we can from. Enjoy it people. Everyone is entitled as paying supporters to moan and groan from time to time but in the end let’s be supportive. Inbenhamwetrust.
Let’s just get a new pitch with the money. It would help us as much as any new signing.
As Brentford supporters we had better get used to finding outstanding talent and losing developed and developing talent for a massive profit, whilst simultaneously climbing to the higher echelons of the Premier League. The structure being built at Brentford is quite outstanding and must be self financed by the development of youth, buying and developing potential talents and selling. The future of Brentford does not depend upon a few talented players that depart for a profit every year, it depends upon the very talented team that remains, supported by what is rapidly developing into one of the best structures in football. It is also vital for the long term sustainability of Brentford that every year it is profitable.
The thing not to forget is that strikers are valued totally differently to other positions. They win you matches… and get you promoted.
9 million may sound a lot but find another 18 – 20 goal getter out there…. like rocking horse s@@t
I bet Brentford do if you want to bet against it use Matchbook more money in Benhams bank.
Rumours this morning that my club, Burnley have put a bid in for him. Not sure I believe it as we don’t usually spend THAT sort of money.
Rumours this morning that my club, Burnley have put a bid in for him. Not sure I believe it as we don’t usually spend THAT sort of money.
Now hearing we could get him for £5 million in a swop deal. I’m sure you Bees will be sorry if he leaves but that’s football.
Not at the right price got a feeling he wants to leave for signing on fee, money talks
Burnley won’t get him for 5 million we already turned down Hull twice and they were willing to pay more than 5 million on their second bid which was 6 million plus 2 million later on and Brentford still refused to play ball.
Like I said earlier, it’s a bit rich by Burnley’s standards. Anyway, it looks like we may have turned to Celtic’s Tony Stokes.
Good luck this season Bees, except against us of course, ha ha.
The reality is that this is how clubs like ours survive. £3.5m for Moses and possibly £9m for Andre is great business for us and great career progression for the players that you cannot deny them.
The concern as always is who fills their boots and how quickly they turn into the dangerous team we have been for two years. So far trying to gel so many new players when already in the thick of a new season is looking a cause for concern. Can we postpone any more games until we’re ready . You Bees.
It is always disappointing to lose or best players, especially to a club in the same league. It’s once again the severely distorting effect that Premier League parachute payments have on the Championship, which is far from a level playing field. Hull are being rewarded handsomely for their failure last season, and that cannot be right.
Until the Bees move to Lionel Road and can attract more fans, this state of affairs will continue. We will have to sell our young talent. However, I do not share the general optimism that all these players we bring in from Europe will be good, and will also be sold on for big fees. Is Gogia going to be as potent as Dallas often was? Will Hoffman and Vibe be at the same level as Gray? International caps in small countries, and success in a different league, (e.g. Eredivisie in Holland), are not good indicators of success in the Championship.
I am not at all convinced that Matthew Benham’s brave new world is as surefire a success as many Bees’ fans think (hope).
Its been the most success i have seen in my fifty years supporting the bees under Benhams tenure so whats not to like.