Brentford loan watch: All the latest on Tariqe Fosu at Stoke City in the EFL | OneFootball

After making just one Premier League appearance in 2021/22, it always seemed likely that Tariqe Fosu would leave Brentford in the summer.

The 26-year-old had been brought to aid the Bees’ 2019/20 Championship promotion push, signing alongside Shandon Baptiste from Oxford United in January 2020, and certainly played his part as they made it to the top flight for the first time the following season.

But 16 minutes of league football last term was never likely to satisfy Fosu, who secured his move back to the second tier with Stoke City on the 16th of August.

The Ghana international was handed his Potters debut by then-manager Michael O’Neill the following day in a 2-2 draw with Middlesbrough and is yet to miss a Championship game since.

Though certainly not his natural position, Fosu has been used as a wing-back for much of the 2022/23 campaign – with his versatility meaning he’s been used on both flanks by O’Neill and his replacement in the dugout Alex Neil.

Quiz: Can you name which club Brentford signed these 28 midfielders from?

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Frank Onyeka?

Brondby IF FC Copenhagen Midtjylland Rangers

There’s been no shortage of effort and application from the Bees loanee, whose defensive numbers – third-most tackles (2.1) and seventh-most interceptions (1.2) in the squad – are fairly impressive.

But for the most part, his offensive output has been underwhelming. Fosu has provided just one goal contribution (no goals, one assist) while he averages just 0.4 key passes and 0.39 shot assists per game.

Fosu was used further forward against Sheffield United on the weekend, starting on the left of the front three, and played a key role as the Potters beat the league leaders 3-1 – hinting that he will likely be more useful to Neil in a more attacking role.

The Brentford loanee was involved in a moment of controversy, however, as he went down looking for a penalty under a challenge from Kyron Gordon, which drew some eye-catching comments from Blades boss Paul Heckingbottom after the game.

Speaking to Stoke on Trent Live about the incident, he said: “Why are we not doing stuff, looking back, with the FA? It’s worth a gamble to cheat and go down. He (Fosu) has got done because the ref saw it on the screen, the same as we all did. When there’s no contact at all, people need to be doing something.”

Saturday’s game showed that Stoke can get more out of Fosu, who has been a victim of his own versatility so far.