Brentford’s decision to mutually terminate Jordan Henderson’s contract paves the way for the 36-year-old to complete a move to Chelsea. The Blues are keen on adding experience to the squad, with Henderson and 35-year-old striker Danny Welbeck on the cusp of a surprise switch to Stamford Bridge.
It does mean, though, that Brentford are light on a central midfielder. Having exceeded expectations to beat the drop and finish ninth under Keith Andrews, the Bees need to build upon a successful campaign.
Keeping Igor Thiago is key. Adding to the depth of the squad is vital. They’ve already completed some solid business, bringing in Jannik Schuster, Jaidon Anthony and Callum Wilson.
It’ll mean little, however, if they don’t replace Henderson. The England international made 32 league appearances for Brentford last season, starting 22 times. Even if his influence waned in the final months of his time at the Gtech Community Stadium, Brentford can ill-afford to go into the new season without replacing the former Liverpool and Ajax star.
Brentford have pulled off a coup
So for Brentford to have beaten Crystal Palace to the signing of Mamadou Sangare is a boost and then some for the capital outfit. Sangare was expected to follow former boss Pierre Sage from Lens to Selhurst Park.
Yet Brentford are on the cusp of landing the 24-year-old. And they’ve upgraded on Henderson. They've upgraded considerably with the addition of the Mali international.
Sangare has enjoyed a whirlwind 12 months having departed Rapid Wien for Lens last summer. The midfielder was instrumental as Lens proved to be Ligue 1’s surprise package. Indeed, they finished just six points behind eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain. Having ended the previous campaign eighth, it was a huge improvement.
What’s more, Lens won the Coupe de France for the first time in their history in 2025/26, as they beat Nice 3-1 at the Stade de France. Success has sadly come at a price for Lens. Their loss is certainly Brentford’s gain as they up their midfield game.
Arguably Sangare’s biggest strength is his ball winning capability. Brentford’s impending new signing won possession in the midfield third more times (121) than any other player in Ligue 1 last season. 207 ball recoveries ranked top of outfield players.
Only Lens teammate Adrien Thomasson (99) made more tackles than the Malian (86). 40 interceptions ranked among the top 10. Sangare’s off-the-ball work won’t be lost on a Brentford side, whose 47.5% possession average ranked among the bottom 10 of the division.
What stood out was what Sangare did with the ball when he won it back. 56.1 passes per 90 was the third most for Lens, behind centre-backs Malang Sarr (61.4) and Ismaelo Ganiou (58.5). 356 forward passes ranked fifth for the club. 38 chances from open play was the fourth most. Only Florian Thauvin (50) completed more take ons (32).
This resulted in a hugely functional Lens side that was able to effectively transition from defence to attack. The Blood and Gold scored more counter-attacking goals (8) than any other team in France’s top tier last term. By comparison, no team scored more counter-attacking goals than Brentford (9) in the Premier League last season.
How does he compare with Henderson?
Even without a player of Sangare’s dynamism, they were an effective counter-attacking side. Throw the Malian into the mix, they improve significantly in the middle of the park. That’s not to say Henderson is a poor player. Rather, his best days are behind him. He can’t handle another full season as a Premier League regular, especially for a Brentford side that will now be expected to secure another top-half finish.
Comparatively speaking, Sangare is a step up. Henderson managed just 1.3 tackles per 90 to Sangare’s 3.3 in their respective leagues last season. The experienced Englishman created just 0.9 chances per 90. The Chelsea-bound star just isn’t the dynamic, box-to-box machine Andrews wants in the middle of the park.
The issue now will be adapting his game to play in an entirely different system. Sage favoured a three-man backline in Ligue 1 last season, whereas Andrews prefers a 4-2-3-1 setup. Sangare is used to playing with a partner in the middle of the park, but he’ll do so without the extra defender to provide additional resolve.
However, he’s a player used to upping sticks and moving on. He adjusted seamlessly to the Lens setup last season. Expect similar in west London. On the whole, he’s an incredibly astute addition to this Brentford squad, and one that elevates the Bees in the middle of the park.
