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Brentford enter their Premier League clash with Sunderland on Saturday full of optimism after an impressive transfer window and an excellent start to their season. The Bees have taken four points from their opening two league games, beating Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 and drawing 1-1 away to Leeds United, whilst also securing progression in the Carabao Cup with a 6-1 victory over Birmingham City. Across the summer transfer window, Brentford made five first team signings - Jannik Schuster from Red Bull Salzburg, Jaidon Anthony from Burnley, Callum Wilson from West Ham United, Mamadou Sangare from RC Lens and El Hadji Malick Diouf, also from West Ham United. Brentford head coach Keith Andrews described himself as “really, really happy” with the deals the Bees have done, and whilst every new player is a valuable addition to the squad, it is the performances of club record signing Mamadou Sangare that have stood out amongst them all so far and caught people’s attention early in his Brentford career. How did Brentford sign Sangare? Sangare played a starring role in a superb season for RC Lens last campaign as they finished second in Ligue 1 and won the Coupe de France, earning himself a spot in the Ligue 1 Team of the Season, and winning the 2026 Marc-Vivien Foe Award for Ligue 1's best African player, an accolade previously received by players such as Achraf Hakimi, Didier Drogba, and Victor Osimhen. The Malian joined Brentford in August from RC Lens for a club-record fee rumoured to be £41 million in a move which surprised some, on the basis that many thought Sangare was a player already ready and equipped to play for one of Europe's elite. “It didn’t take a genius to realise he [Sangare] was a very good player” Keith Andrews said in his pre-match press conference ahead of the game against Sunderland, and he is of course correct, which begs the question as to how Brentford were able to acquire such a talent? On Sangare’s move to West London, Andrews said: “he had to want to come here and he made that very clear from our initial conversations." Brentford have developed a great reputation over the years for their development of young players, particularly from France, a reputation that will have proved vital in convincing a player of Sangare’s calibre that West London was the correct destination for him. The likes of Bryan Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa, Said Benrahma and Neal Maupay were all signed from Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 clubs and sold years later for significant profit. In the case of Mbeumo, the Cameroonian has previously revealed that Brentford scouts had watched him a total of 28 times for ESTAC Troyes in Ligue 2 prior to the summer of 2019, where the club provided him with a detailed presentation of both his strengths and weaknesses and where they believed they could improve him should he join the club. A 19-year-old Mbeumo, impressed with the level of detail and effort the Bees had made to sign him, turned down a move to Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais in favour of Brentford, who were only a mid-table Championship side at the time, for £6 million. He would go on to play 242 games for the club, scoring 70 goals before moving to Manchester United for £71 million last summer. Brentford’s model is not only built on a commitment to developing players but also boosting their careers. The club are often transparent with ambitious signings that they will not stand in their way should the ‘big clubs’ come calling in the future. Premier League winner David Raya, for example, was signed for £3 million from Blackburn Rovers, four years before moving to Arsenal in a move eventually worth £30 million. Sangare’s move to West London will no doubt have come with an honest conversation surrounding the long-term possibility of moving on to play for Europe’s elite should he prove himself at Premier League level. As of the present, however, Sangare forms part of an ambitious Brentford team pushing for a maiden European qualification this season as he aims to establish his quality in the Premier League. Already a fan favourite, he has wasted little time in proving himself to be a vital asset to the side in the season’s opening games, finding himself subject of a newly viral chant "I wanna dance with Sangare" from his new fans. What has Sangare brought to Brentford? As new beginnings go, Sangare’s start to life in West London has been near perfect. The 24-year-old rounded off his first month at the club with a richly deserved nomination for the Premier League Player of the Month for August. The Malian midfielder began his Brentford career with a man of the match performance on debut, picking up an assist in the 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur. He then followed it up with another assist off the bench in the 6-1 cup thrashing of Birmingham City just days later. Throughout both games it was not just Sangare’s creativity that impressed fans, however. The midfielder proved himself solid in the tackle, consistently winning the ball back for his side, whilst also demonstrating immense calmness and elegance on the ball. He illustrated his quality again in the 1-1 draw with Leeds at Elland Road, winning three out of four tackles and having the most touches of any player on the pitch, with just one singular unsuccessful touch registered from 81 across the 90 minutes he played. It was Sangare’s through ball to Jaidon Anthony which began the move for Kevin Schade’s opener, and it was the weight of pass played by Sangare to start that move that showed the quality in possession Brentford have benefited so much from early this season. Whilst Brentford also drew at Elland Road last season, the contrast in performance was indicative of the impact Sangare has already had on the midfield. In the 0-0 draw in March, Brentford registered just 43% possession and 6 shots all game. In last week’s 1-1 draw against Leeds, Brentford had 53% possession, 62% in the first half, and a total of 22 shots. Sangare has so far formed part of a two-man pivot in midfield with Vitaly Janelt, sitting behind a combination of Mathias Jensen or Mikkel Damsgaard in the attacking midfield role. Brentford’s new look midfield is well balanced, both combative and creative, comfortable in winning possession, retaining it and using it efficiently to create high-quality chances for the attackers in front. The xG of 3.87 recorded by Brentford in their opening game victory over Spurs was their highest ever in the Premier League, and a statement performance from a side aiming for a special season, driven in part by their new man in the middle. How far can Brentford go this season? During his pre-match press conference ahead of the Premier League fixture against Sunderland, Brentford head coach Keith Andrews said that the team "feel good" and "are in a good place”, emphasising a clear desire to keep pushing forward whilst remaining grounded about the challenges the Premier League poses. Brentford finished a joint record highest ninth place in the Premier League last season, missing out on European qualification on a matter of goal difference after a 1-1 draw to Liverpool on the final day at Anfield. Not only have Brentford brought in five new signings to bolster their squad, they have, for the first time in years, resisted interest in all their key players to maintain the core of their squad, a move that has been described by Andrews as “a statement of intent”. Convincing players like Igor Thiago and Michael Kayode to sign new contracts rather than pursuing moves away from the club is a testament to the direction Brentford are going in. The club’s transfer window has left the Bees with arguably their strongest ever squad, possessing not just a good starting XI, but high-quality squad depth, equipping the club well for the challenges of fixture congestion and injuries as the season progresses. Whilst the Premier League for the most part is unpredictable, the added quality the likes of Sangare will bring to an already strong side can leave Brentford fans optimistic for a successful season. With four points from their opening two Premier League games, Brentford and Sangare will be looking to continue their fast start with another win against Sunderland on Saturday in front of an excited home faithful.