Get West London understands that Brentford defender Harlee Dean will leave the Championship club at the end of the season. Talks broke down over a new deal at the start of the season but with his contract up this summer, he now looks set to leave on a free.
The 24-year-old centre back has made over 150 appearances for the Bees since signing from Southampton, initially on loan in November 2011. This was then turned into a permanent deal the following year but his long association with the club is nearing an end. Previous manager Marinus Dijkhuizen was in charge when Dean was offered a new deal, but those discussions soon broke down.
Dean says that although he has a great relationship with current manager Dean Smith, he said it is not his sole decision to offer him a deal, and is resigning himself to looking for a new club for next season,
“There are no talks ongoing. It’s not down to the manager. I’ve got a great relationship with him but it’s not his call. It’s all I can say.”
It is slightly surprising to see that the club haven’t at least returned with a contract offer for one of their star defenders. With James Tarkowski’s future also unclear, Smith may need to start planning for a new centre back pairing at Griffin Park next season. With the club seemingly happy to let his contract run out until the summer, perhaps they have a plan in mind in the form of a replacement. News of this could lead to Dean potentially leaving in this window, should a club come in with an offer.