Brentford have reportedly identified Roma striker Andrea Belotti as an option up top, but London rivals Fulham are also ‘admirers’ of the Italian.
The Bees could find themselves without a major cog in Ivan Toney soon. They have dealt without him this season—Neal Maupay, Bryan Mbeumo, and Yoane Wissa have all featured in the attack—and a ban for betting breaches means he’s not played yet, though he is due to return in January.
But by that point, Toney might not be playing for Brentford at all.
Thomas Frank has made it clear he doesn’t want to lose his striker and is even hoping he’ll sign a new contract. Indeed, the Englishman bagged 20 league goals last season, and with his side currently 11th in the league, he could help them jump up a few places.
However, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and Real Madrid have all been linked with him of late.
As such, if any of them come in with a big enough offer, Brentford might be forced to accept it.
TEAMtalk has previously revealed a sum in the region of £80million may unlock the move.
If Toney is to leave, Frank will want to put that money to good use by signing a new striker.
Brentford and Fulham want Belotti
According to Italian outlet Romagiallorossa, Italian forward Belotti is in Brentford’s thoughts.
It’s said the striker could be ‘expendable’ at Roma. He had a poor season in Serie A last term, failing to score in 31 appearances, but he has netted three times in the league in the current campaign.
But Tammy Abraham is expected to be back to full fitness in the New Year, meaning there might be no room for Belotti.
It’s said he has Premier League ‘admirers’ not only in Brentford but Fulham, too.
Fiorentina, Genoa, and Palmeiras are all said to have an interest in the 29-year-old as well.
Belotti may not be best use of money
In his club career, Belotti has scored 152 goals. He had a phenomenal spell with Torino a few years ago, where he netted 113 times and registered 28 assists in 251 games.
He’s also scored 12 goals for Italy in 44 games. However, Belotti has not played internationally for over a year, and his returns to club football seem to be dwindling.
As such, if Brentford are looking to replicate the impact of Toney, they might want to go in another direction.
While Belotti might well be able to turn things around given he’s still 29, with the money Brentford could have to spend, they could recruit a striker who’s more likely to find the net on a consistent basis.
He might, however, be a usual addition for Fulham in order to add depth to their striker corps.
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