Brentford have completed the signing of Nathan Collins from Wolverhampton Wanderers for a club-record transfer fee.
Collins, 22, is Brentford’s second senior acquisition of the summer transfer window and agrees to a six-year contract.
✍ Welcome to Brentford, Nathan Collins pic.twitter.com/FnraLE7asi
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) July 4, 2023
"He’s a composed and calm defender," said head coach Thomas Frank on the club's official website. "His heading in both boxes is a big thing, both in open play and from set-pieces, which is massive in the Premier League.
“I also like his ability on the ball. He can carry the ball out of defence and also has the composure to find the right pass during build-up play.
"I see leadership potential in Nathan. He’s a perfect Brentford player - hungry and ambitious with a desire to learn.”
A promising talent
Collins arrives at Brentford after an impressive season with Wolves.
He played 26 times in 2022/23 to help them secure their Premier League status.
The season before, Collins made his Premier League debut with Burnley and played 19 times, scoring twice.
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The 22-year-old has also been capped 14 times by the Republic of Ireland.
"It’s a club on the rise and I can see where they want to go," Collins added.
“I like to play football. I want to dribble, play and create. It starts at the back. I can play long balls and short balls. But, at the end of the day, I’m a defender and I have to head the ball, win it and win my challenges."
The move reunites Collins with Ben Mee, whom he played with in central defence at Burnley, keeping clean sheets in each of the two matches they started together.
"I’ve been texting him a little bit," Collins revealed. "He’s been helping me out. He helped me out a lot at Burnley when I first went in there. He’s a legend."
Debut in Summer Series?
Brentford fans could get their first glimpse of Collins in the Premier League's Summer Series tournament in the US. Their first match is against Fulham on 23 July.
Brentford kick off their 2023/24 Premier League campaign at home to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday 13 August.
