Brentford forward Neal Maupay was rested for their friendly against Dynamo Kiev today amid ongoing transfer interest. The striker has been linked with four Premier League sides.
Brentford Withdraw Neal Maupay Amid Speculation
Four-Way Premier League Race
Brentford have decided to rest striker Neal Maupay amid interest from a number of Premier League sides.
The Bees drew 0-0 with Dynamo Kyiv in Austria but Maupay did not feature.
Newly promoted Sheffield United and Aston Villa are two sides interested in the forward; meanwhile, West Ham and Brighton have also expressed an interest.
The 22-year-old has, therefore, been given time off by the Bees. Maupay is expected to return to his native France before reporting back for training on Tuesday.
Brentford are holding out for an offer of around £20 million for the striker who provided 28 goals for them last term.
The Bees have also taken notes from cash-strapped Birmingham City’s transfer of Che Adams to Southampton for a reported £15 million.
Brentford, however, do not need to offload players in order to make cash available. As a result, the London side can hold out for a more significant fee.
The Bees have already received substantial fees for several players in recent years. Daniel Bentley‘s move to Bristol City was a profitable move for Brentford; meanwhile, Chris Mepham‘s January move to Bournemouth provided more funds.
Brentford also hold the upper-hand as they believe that the 22-year-old’s market value will increase further before the January transfer window.
Maupay One of Brentford’s ‘Best Players’
Speaking to West London Sport earlier this month, Bees boss Thomas Frank reiterated his determination to retain Maupay.
“As a coach you want to keep your best players – always – so yes I want to keep him,” Frank said
“I think everybody that watched us last year saw some amazing bits of football and when you have young interesting players, it’s natural other clubs are interested in them.
“But we also know that we want to progress, and push. Because of that we want to keep our best players and get some new ones in like Christian (Norgaard) and Ethan (Pinnock).”
Maupay, who signed from St Etienne in 2017, is contracted at Griffin Park until 2021.
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