Sangare explains why he snubbed Europe's elite for Brentford — SkimNews
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- Mamadou Sangare joined Brentford on a club-record deal over the summer, turning down "the elite of the elite" of European clubs because he prioritized a coach who "really wanted" him and a clear path to improving.
- Brentford persuaded him with a detailed presentation laying out his strengths, weaknesses and the manager's tactical plan — the same approach that took Bryan Mbeumo from a Ligue 2 player at Troyes in 2019 to a £71m move to Manchester United.
- Sangare marked his Premier League debut with two assists against Tottenham on the opening weekend, prompting Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp to declare he "can play for a top four club."
- Sangare has started on the bench in the last two league games against Chelsea and Aston Villa as he competes with Vitaly Janelt, Mathias Jensen and Yehor Yarmoliuk for a midfield spot, with no injury to blame.
- Brentford sit fourth after six unbeaten Premier League games, having beaten Chelsea and Tottenham and drawn with Aston Villa, leading Sangare to ask: "Why can't we also reach the top four, or the top two?"
Why it matters: Brentford's data-driven recruitment machine has again poached a talent elite European clubs wanted, extending a pipeline that has already yielded nearly £200m in sales (Mbeumo, Wissa, Toney, Raya). The flip side is that elite-level signings like Sangare must still earn their place — he has started the last two league games on the bench — which tempers the headline glamour with a reminder that Brentford's model rewards patience as much as it rewards scouting.
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