Brentford sign Turkish youngster Yunus Emre Konak

Brentford have completed the signing of highly-rated midfielder Yunus Emre Konak from Turkish Super Lig side Sivasspor.

Konak, who turned 18 on Wednesday, has signed a contract until the summer of 2029, with an option to extend by a further year.

Brentford director of football Phil Giles told the club's website: "Yunus is an exciting young player and we are very happy to have managed to bring him to Brentford.

"He's a player that likes to be aggressive, close players down, win tackles, and get the ball back for his team.

We are delighted to confirm the arrival of 18-year-old midfielder Yunus Emre Konak, on an initial contract through to 2029 🙌

— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) January 11, 2024

"He has a lot of development potential still, especially on the offensive side of the game, and we look forward to working with him on all aspects of his game.

"Our recruitment team did a fantastic job to enable us to move quickly and secure his signature. We look forward to working with Yunus and, hopefully, he can progress into the first team in due course."

After fending off reported interest from clubs across Europe, Brentford have made Konak their first signing of the January window.

Konak, who joined Sivasspor in 2018, worked his way through the youth ranks at the Turkish club before making his professional debut in August.

© Reuters

After making his senior bow in a 1-1 draw against Samsunspor, the midfielder went on to feature in a total of 17 top-flight matches.

The teenager has also represented his country at youth level, including three appearances for the Turkey Under-21 side.

Following his arrival in West London, Konak is expected to initially join up with the club's B team, where he will hope to follow in the footsteps of Yegor Yarmolyuk.

The Ukrainian joined the club in the summer of 2022 and spent the majority of his first season with the B team, before making the step up to Thomas Frank's side during this term.