Brentford seal club record £42.5m deal for Ouattara

Brentford have completed a club record deal of up to £42.5m to sign Dango Ouattara from Bournemouth.

The Burkina Faso forward joins the Bees on a five-year contract with the option of a further year.

The 23-year-old, who scored nine goals in 37 games in all competitions last season, is viewed as a replacement for Bryan Mbeumo, who moved to Manchester United in July.

“We’re really happy to get Dango in,” said Brentford boss Keith Andrews.

“He’s someone that we were aware and surprised could be available and, once we knew that signing him might be a possibility, we really focused on trying to get him.

“We liked his Premier League experience, even at his young age, and he just hasn’t found the rhythm yet because of a lack of consistent game time.”

Sources close to Ouattara, who joined Bournemouth in January 2023 from French side Lorient, told BBC Sport he was keen to move as he had struggled to carve out a prominent role at the Cherries.

Andrews believes he could prove to be a valuable acquisition for Brentford.

“He suits the way we want to play – he has something that we were lacking in the forward line, and he will complement what we already have in the building,” added the former Republic of Ireland midfielder.

“The fans will love him – he’s the type of player that they will get off their seat for.”

Nottingham Forest previously held an interest in Ouattara, but instead opted to sign England Under-21 winger Omari Hutchinson for £37.5m from Ipswich.

It remains unclear whether Ouattara’s arrival will pave the way for striker Yoane Wissa to leave Brentford.

On Thursday, Andrews said Wissa would not play in their Premier League opener at Forest on Sunday amid doubts about his future.