Brentford, who fell at the last hurdle last season in the Playoff Final at Wembley, fell at the first this season with an away defeat against Birmingham City. However, that game told a story much beyond the 1-0 scoreline.
It also told a story of the futures of two of Brentford’s stars: goalkeeper David Raya and winger Said Benrahma. Both these regulars from last season were missing from today’s line-up. Both these regulars from last season have Premier League suitors.
The combination of not being named in today’s game and having Premier League interest is too much to not read into. Whilst not saying so, it screams just one word – exit.
Goalkeeper Raya, a £3m signing last July from Blackburn Rovers is a player wanted by Arsenal as a back-up to Bernd Leno – something written about in more depth here on The72. Emiliano Martinez fulfilled that role last season but he has been seen as jockeying into position for a move to Aston Villa.
Winger Benrahma is a player whose name has been on the lips of many last season; indeed, even the season before. There were overtures across that Chelsea had designs on him before they sank heavily into Kai Havertz. Now he’s said on the radar of Premier League duo West Ham United and Aston Villa, something written about here on The72.
With neither player in the matchday squad, that can only point to one set of circumstances. Those circumstances are plain and simple – both players are surely in talks about an impending transfer out of Brentford.
