Brentford in talks over sealing £17m first summer transfer amid race for Europe | OneFootball

Bees wasting no time in pursuing reinforcements as they battle for top-six finish this season

Brentford are in negotiations over a deal to sign Red Bull Salzburg centre-back Jannik Schuster.

Standard Sport understands that while nothing has yet been signed, talks have taken place over a transfer believed to be worth around €20million (£17.2m).

Schuster has established himself as a first-team regular in Salzburg’s defence, making 26 appearances for the 17-time Austrian Bundesliga champions this season.

The 19-year-old returned to Salzburg last summer, having spent three seasons at Austrian second-division side FC Liefering.

Comfortable playing as both a left and right-sided centre-back, Schuster’s versatility will appeal to Brentford, who are preparing for the possibility of European football next season.

The Bees are currently seventh in the Premier League table with three games to go and are on course to qualify for the UEFA Conference League.

As it stands, Brentford are well stocked at centre-back, with Nathan Collins, Sepp van den Berg, Kristoffer Ajer and Ethan Pinnock all in their ranks.

However, with Pinnock entering the final year of his contract, Brentford could yet need defensive reinforcements - especially given that the Jamaican international is the only left-footed centre-back currently at the club.

Any deal for Schuster is expected to be a long-term investment. But the Austrian Under-21 international has significant first-team experience and featured three times for Salzburg in the Europa League this season.

Brentford ended a seven-game winless run across all competitions last weekend by beating West Ham 3-0 at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Keith Andrews’ side travel to title-chasing Manchester City on Saturday, one point above Brighton in eighth and a point behind Bournemouth in sixth.