Newly classified Brentford have confirmed the signing of Norwegian international Kristoffer Ajer from Celtic.
The defender has attracted admiring looks from Premier League clubs for a number of years now, with both Manchester clubs, Leicester, Everton and Wolves credited with an interest in the 23-year-old.
Kristoffer Ajer representing Norway / Fran Santiago / Getty Images
Potential suitors for Ajer have also not been limited to these beaches, with European behemoths such as Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund also said they monitored his performance.
Brentford’s quest for Ajer began almost immediately after their promotion to the Premier League was confirmed, and the club have now taken to their official website to confirm that they have their man.
“Brentford have signed Norwegian international defender Kristoffer Ajer from Celtic for an undisclosed fee, subject to international approval,” the statement said.
“Kris, as he is known, completed a drug before signing a five-year contract. He will train with his teammates this week when the bees count down to their first ever Premier League season.”
The deal represents a massive coup for bees, given the fierce competition they faced to secure his signature.
Brentford have not wasted any time at all in strengthening their squad for the 2021/22 season, with the signing of the highly ranked Nigerian international Frank Onyeka recently confirmed.
It is unlikely that Ajer and Onyeka’s arrival in Brentford will be the last this summer, and Thomas Frank will reportedly also keep an eye on Arsenal’s Reiss Nelson.
✍ Kris agrees to a five-year contract from Celtic and will be our second signing of the summer
Details? https://t.co/ToSeLAG393 #BrentfordFC pic.twitter.com/8incGl7gOc
– Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) July 21, 2021
Bees will compete against competition from Crystal Palace and Brighton if they are to strike a deal for the youngster, while Olympiacos and several Bundesliga sides have also left their interest.
Even though you have not yet made your Premier League debut, given the star names that Brentford struck out to secure the signing of Ajer, you certainly would not rule out the possibility that they would win the race to sign Nelson.
Brentford’s recruiting team has been one of the best in England in recent times, with recruiting director Lee Dykes recently sitting down by 90 minutes to give an insightful interview about the club’s scouting process.
Whether Ajer will be the latest in a long list of success stories at the club remains to be seen, but his time at Celtic has shown that he really has the talent to thrive in the Premier League.
