Ethan Pinnock is on his way to Coventry City it would seem, and nobody in our part of West London should begrudge him it. The Coventry Telegraph are reporting a £6m deal – £5m up front with £1m in add-ons – with Pinnock their second new centre-back of the window after Aurele Amenda. Ethan was left out of the squad for the Tottenham demolition, permission to travel for a medical already granted – the writing it seems is on the wall.

Pinnock is a player who was turning out for Dulwich Hamlet in the Isthmian League at 23, before promotion success with Forest Green Rovers, then forged a central role in League One’s Team of the Year with Barnsley before Brentford took a punt on him in 2019. Since then – 153 appearances, a Wembley play-off final, a four-year contract earned on merit, and a manager in Thomas Frank once calling him “a mountain for us.” Not bad for a bargain buy who spent his early twenties outside the professional game.

That journey is exactly why he matters so much to this club’s story. Pinnock wasn’t just a squad player when Brentford went up – he was one of the landmark signings that turned us into a side with genuine Premier League-ready credentials, and he helped make that step up not just a reality but a success. Every Bees fan reading this should be wishing him well. At his age, who could deny him a decent, secure contract at a club that wants him? Nobody.

The truth is it’s also sound business, and the club’s supporters agree. Sean Algar summed it up on Beesotted’s Facebook page: “Ethan made four league appearances last season and we are getting £5m+ and he has got himself a three year deal. It’s brilliant business for everyone concerned. We have Nathan, Kris, Sepp and Schuster waiting to step up and Vitaly who if required can drop into defence.” Not everyone’s quite so relaxed – Peter Hatherall flagged the obvious worry: “leaves us short of experience at CB, an area where we’ve had issues the last couple of seasons… would we bring someone else in?” Fair point, and one Andrews will need answering before the window shuts.

However, it has been clear for a year or so that Brentford’s central defence needed to evolve, and a move like this – on these terms, at this stage of Ethan’s career – is about as perfect a solution as it gets… for both the club and the player.

Thank you, Ethan. You arrived unknown, and left a legend.

Beesotted