Brentford make contact to sign exciting Brazilian defender as Besiktas plot rival move
Brentford have made fresh contact over Santos centre-back Joao Ananias and remain keen on signing the Brazil Under-20 international, TEAMtalk understands.
No formal offer has been lodged by the Bees at this stage, however, and any deal is likely to go down to the wire.
The 19-year-old is under contract at Vila Belmiro until 2030. Santos will listen to offers of around €9million (£7.7m / $10.5m) because of financial pressure, but they are not desperate to sell a player they still rate highly.
That asking price has become something that has made him a very attractive prospect, after talks with Benfica collapsed in June.
Those negotiations reached the same figure, only for Santos to reject a proposal to offset the fee against money owed on Benjamin Rollheiser, who moved to Santos from Benfica in 2025.
Santos wanted cash in the bank, and told the player’s representatives to find another buyer.
Besiktas now look the most advanced club in the race for Ananias. The Turkish side have signalled that they will table a formal bid before their window closes on 4 September.
Two other clubs in Turkey are also understood to be interested. Arsenal have been monitoring Ananias closely, but have not made any serious moves, while Atletico Madrid are keeping tabs. No Premier League or La Liga sides have submitted an offer.
Brentford in the mix to sign Brazilian star Ananias
Brentford’s renewed contact keeps them in a crowded field.
The Bees first sounded out Santos earlier in the summer alongside Roma and Shakhtar Donetsk, without following up with a bid.
Fresh dialogue suggests they still want to bring in a left-sided, ball-playing defender, but time is short and Besiktas appear ready to move first.
Ananias came through Santos’ academy from the age of 11 and was promoted to the first team this year.
He has split time between starts and the bench in the Brazilian Serie A and has already represented Brazil at Under-20 level.
His passing range and versatility are part of the attraction for clubs building for the long term.
Santos expect proposals in the coming days, but Until someone matches their valuation up front in cash, Ananias stays put.
For Brentford, the interest is real, but they must move quickly if they are to win the race for the exciting young defender.
