Brentford have struck Exeter City gold once again - Matthew Benham will be licking his lips | OneFootball

Ethan Brierley is the 5th loan between Brentford and Exeter City in the last three years and he looks set to go on and be a success for the Bees.

It feels like Exeter City have more interactions with a certain Premier League team than they do with most League One clubs these days.

The Grecians and Brentford used to meet regularly in the EFL but, given the Bees' meteoric rise in the last decade, there hasn't been a league meeting between the two since 2012.

But, right now, there's a strong bond off the pitch between the West London and Westcountry clubs, which has seen five deals done over the same number of transfer windows.

For reasons that have never quite been explained, Exeter boss Gary Caldwell seems to spend a decent amount of time at the Premier League side's training ground.

But, whatever the link, he's been putting that connection to good use, bringing in a number of players on loan from Brentford since taking the reins at St James Park in 2022.

Ryan Trevitt was the first, joining in the summer of 2023 and putting in some good displays before injury cut his spell short before Christmas that year.

The imperious Tristan Crama was next 12 months later, marshaling City's defence with quality and grit to such a standard that his loan was ended prematurely as he was sold on by the Bees to Millwall in the winter window of 2025.

By way of compensation, Trevitt returned and was joined by winger Tony Yogane in January, only for the playmaker to break down with injury again and for the wide man to frustrate with some indecisive play.

Ethan Brierley is Exeter City's fifth Brentford loan

This summer we got the fifth installment of the Exeter City x Brentford collab with the arrival of promising midfielder Ethan Brierley on a season-long loan.

It's easy to see why the 21-year-old is highly rated in the capital and this is his second taste of the EFL following a breakout spell at his hometown club Rochdale prior to joining Brentford in 2023.

The central midfielder has been pretty much ever present for Exeter this season, and it's clear that he has a touch of class that will stand him in good stead going forward for Brentford or at a side in the Championship if they decide to cash in on him like they did with Crama.

He's feisty, always wants the ball and isn't afraid to harang established players with plenty more experience than he does.

He's got a good range of passing as well and, frankly, would probably shine in a side better than this inconsistent Grecians outfit who seem destined to finish in the bottom third of the third tier.

City have struggled this season, putting in some fairly uninspiring performances while, at the same time, avoiding any serious hammerings.

Of course, there's still plenty Brierley can add to his game. He can certainly improve in the final third, and he looks the type who can mature into a player who runs games in a similar mould to Grecian Alumni Matt Grimes.

But the signs are promising, and he's never let his head drop nor given less than 100%, even during City's recent run of four losses on the bounce.

Whatever Brierley's future holds, it will surely be at a higher level than what Exeter can offer, but a campaign in Devon's capital will stand him in good stead going forward with experience gained at a higher level than he's enjoyed previously.

It's a win-win situation for Brentford and their innovative owner, Matthew Benham, who likes to go about things in a slightly different way.

He's already had a couple of massive wins from his dealings with Exeter, most notably the shrewd signing of Ollie Watkins for just £1.8m in 2017.

Brentford have done well from Exeter City deals

Watkins shot the lights out for the Bees in the Championship, and they cashed in with a mega £28m sale to Aston Villa three years later.

It turned out to be the financial boost they needed to go one better and seal promotion to the Premier League 12 months after selling Watkins, following a play-off final defeat to Fulham in 2020.

Crama was the next big Benham, Brentford and Exeter success story, though the figures involved were far smaller than those around Watkins' moves.

Perhaps Brierley will be the third. He is doing well at Exeter, but he's not standing out as much as Crama did at this stage of his Grecians career.

It's early days, Brierley's only made 11 League One appearances, but City might be the big immediate winners if he takes a while to really show his quality.

Maybe he'll remain at St James Park beyond January and become the first of the five loans to see out the whole season.

Whatever happens, it doesn't feel like the midfielder will do a Trevitt or Joe Whitworth and return for a second spell at Exeter. Brierley's future is certainly in the Championship and possibly beyond.